B2 Keep on the Borderlands: A Timeless Classic

 B2 Keep on the Borderlands is possibly the most iconic and influential adventure in the history of Dungeons & Dragons. Originally released in 1979 by Gary Gygax, this adventure module has stood the test of time, providing endless hours of entertainment for generations of players. Despite its age, B2 Keep on the Borderlands remains relevant and useful for today's players, no matter the edition. Let's take a look at why this classic adventure module still holds up.

B2 Keep on the Borderlands was designed as an introductory module for new players, providing a balanced mix of roleplaying, combat, and exploration. It showcases the core elements of D&D and serves as an ideal starting point for those new to the game. The module places adventurers in a fortified keep, a bastion of civilization on the edge of a dangerous wilderness teeming with monsters and danger. Players must balance their interactions with the NPCs within the keep, while venturing into the Caves of Chaos, a network of monster-infested lairs.

The Caves of Chaos serve as the primary focus of the module, offering a diverse array of monsters and challenges for the players to tackle. The interconnected caverns and tunnels are home to various monster factions, such as goblins, kobolds, and orcs. Each lair features unique environmental hazards and traps, demanding players to think creatively and adapt to new situations. The dynamic faction relationships within the Caves of Chaos present opportunities for clever players to exploit, using diplomacy, deception, or brute force to gain an advantage.

The simplicity of B2 Keep on the Borderlands is one of its greatest strengths. The adventure's structure and content can easily be adapted to any edition of D&D, from the original Basic Set to the latest 5th Edition. The module's generic setting allows Dungeon Masters to seamlessly integrate it into their preferred campaign worlds. Whether it's the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, or a homebrewed setting, the Keep on the Borderlands can fit naturally into any world, providing an exciting and memorable experience.

Beyond its adaptability, B2 Keep on the Borderlands serves as a wellspring of inspiration for Dungeon Masters. The module's open-ended nature allows for the creation of unique adventures tailored to the interests of the players. The Keep itself can be expanded upon, with side quests, political intrigue, or hidden threats lurking beneath the surface. The Caves of Chaos provide a template for designing interconnected, multi-faction dungeons, allowing DMs to craft their own memorable and challenging adventures.

B2 Keep on the Borderlands is a testament to the enduring appeal of Dungeons & Dragons, proving that some adventures are truly timeless. Its engaging blend of roleplaying, combat, and exploration offers a perfect introduction to the game, while its adaptability and open-ended nature make it a valuable resource for Dungeon Masters. 

Gateway to Adventure

 I'm not sure I can put into words the power these catalogues had. Even now looking at them still sparks that sense of wonder and anticipation, what is inside? What new books by TSR are coming out? Which ones will I be able to talk mom into getting for me? Will any of them show up at the game store?

Unearthed Arcana II

This illustration by TSR vet Jeff Easley is reminiscent of his Unearthed Arcana cover. It was published in Encyclopedia Magica Volume 2 and was reused for the Amazing Stories #58 cover. 

It was also used as a mockup for an Unearthed Arcana II cover in the 1986 TSR product catalog. Rumors are sketchy that there may have been an unpublished version of this book in the TSR archives.  Is it possible there might be a draft copy floating around somewhere?

Joshua Fritts says "During 2E that there was talk of a second book that was coming out but may have been scrapped for budget constraints if I remember right but I’m old now so who knows how good that is."

At that point Gary was out (or on his way out) and TSR was moving towards 2e.

DM Dave has some speculation on what may have been in a Gary Gygax 2e AD&D such as Mystic, Savant, Mountebank, & Jester classes. It seems reasonable some of these would have made a first appearance in an UA2.

https://dmdavid.com/tag/gary-gygaxs-thwarted-plans-for-second-edition-dungeons-dragons/

Just another TSR mystery we may never know more about, but how we would have embraced an Unearthed Arcana II! Even though the first one was of questionable quality and use.

Game Wizards - The Epic Battle For D&D

 The early history of Dungeons and Dragons is every bit as fascinating as any story could be about young creatives with a great idea and finding success. Jon Peterson, author of the excellent Playing at the World, has written another book about a part of D&D's history we don't know as much about: the insider business.

This is a part of the history of TSR and D&D I've long wanted to learn more about, and it appears Jon Peterson has done the deep research to uncover what happened behind the scenes.

Pre-orders are available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. 

You can read more at his blog. https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2021/09/game-wizards-my-new-book.html

Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game Free on DTRPG

One of the last iterations of the basic D&D game before TSR was purchased by Wizards who abolished the basic line for a unified 3rd edition, the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game has just been made available on DriveThruRPG at no cost.

It has two books; a fairly minimal Rules Book, that packs quite a bit in it for the size. And an Adventure Book with 3 decent adventures.

Character progressions are described for 1st-5th levels. It has 7 character classes with 8 pregenerated characters:

Human Fighter
Human Priest
Halfling Thief
Human Paladin
Dwarf Fighter
Elf Fighter/Wizard
Human Wizard

The print set had character folders for player convenience. The classes are far from complete, like there is little in the way of spell descriptions. The DM section has nearly the most minimal set of rules possible and very little in the way of treasures. 

The monsters section is an eclectic collection that is almost as random as those from the Holmes' Basic. Including a level 9 Dragon!

For adventures it has a much cleaned up Random Dungeon Generator reminiscent of the tables from the DMG. The three adventures are:

1. The Mystery of UnderTown. A classic evil lurking in a peaceful village trope.
2. The Haunting of Black Isle. An old abandoned temple on an island.
3. To Find the Dragon’s Lair. A Dragon predating on the local farms. A surprising inclusion for such a basic low level adventure set.

It also has a DM's screen and a large fold out area map of the town of Haven.

I missed out on this set when it came out and it is one of the few Basic sets I didn't already own, so it's a pleasant surprise to be able to pick the PDF up for free. I may even run the adventures in my home game.

How does it rate? Well at a price of $0 it is a must buy, worth downloading it just for the adventures. Other than that it doesn't come close to comparing to the Moldvay red box. Though I think it may be an improvement over some of the later basic sets. Not a terribly bad sendoff for the basic line.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/284581/Dungeons--Dragons-Adventure-Game

Update: it's been pointed out to me that this is more of an introductory set for 2e Advanced Dungeons & Dragons than it is a Basic set. Having read through it I agree that there are some 2e like elements such as THAC0. 

Warriors of Mars Review

In 1914 Edgar Rice Burroughs’ seminal classic A Princess of Mars launched the “Sword & Planet” genre and directly inspired Flash Gordon, Superman, Dune, Star Wars and many other characters and stories. Largely forgotten by the public to the point that the John Carter movie was accused of ripping off the very films the original book had inspired!

The Mars novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs were a major influence on the early D&D game. The original LBBs contain more references to Barsoom novels than to any other fantasy literature.

Some of the races and creatures even appear in the Wandering Monsters tables of OD&D.

Gary Gygax acknowledges this influence in the Forward to Men & Magic “These rules are strictly fantasy. Those wargamers who lack imagination, those who don’t care for Burroughs’ Martian adventures where John Carter is groping through black pits...will not be likely to find D&D to their taste”

Even in AD&D references to Barsoom are found throughout, including notably in Appendix N of the DMG.

The "Warriors of Mars" rules for miniature wargames, was published by TSR in July, 1974 just six months after the original D&D rules. Written and designed by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, and lavishly illustrated with 24 interior drawings by Greg Bell. 

They are a standalone set of rules for adventures on Barsoom.  It is clearly not a roleplaying game, there just isn’t enough there in ways of creating or describing a character, but it does have some RPG like elements such as 1:1 combat and movement, character advancement levels, and suggestions how to make personal adventures. It is a wargame closer to Chainmail than to OD&D.

The forward by Gary Gygax states "this project was done at the request of the firm which originated the miniature figures for this singular aspect of wargaming".  According to Jon Peterson's book Playing at the World the firm is identified as Hinchliffe Models which later became Heritage Models.

The Edgar Rice Burroughs estate contacted TSR with a cease and desist so to avoid any legal action, the book was never reprinted. Which is a shame as there doesn’t appear to be anything in Warriors of Mars that wasn’t already in the public domain. This makes this one of the rarest hard to find and most expensive TSR books. Copies come up occasionally on ebay for hundreds of dollars. PDF copies are easy to find online with a little searching.

The book is divided into Land Warfare, Aerial Warfare, and Characters, & Creatures, followed by a series of combat tables.  There are also maps of Barsoom.

The Land Warfare section provides rules for mass combat, sieges, and rules for individual combat.

Individual melee involves rolling 3d6 and the result compared to attacker vs. defender on a rather dense table in the back which looks reminiscent of the Fantasy Combat table in Chainmail. There are 2 rounds of melee each turn.

Missile fire is a novel system: roll 2 dice, The first is the target number to match or beat in order to score a hit and it is modified by the attackers status, weapon, range, and so on. The second die is the roll to hit that target number.

Individual adventure guidelines describe unexpected encounters, time, and movement. A rudimentary experience and advancement system is described for characters to rise as high as 12th level. John Carter is 13th level. Fighting men and assassins are the only things mentioned that could remotely be considered “classes”.

The "experience" points table includes rewards for defeating foes, rescuing princesses, capturing airships, capturing enemy warriors or items, freeing prisoners, and finding lost treasures.

Adventure locations such as exploring deserted cities, or delving into the black pits beneath are only given a brief paragraph and a suggestion to consult D&D.

With movement rules, individual combat, experience, and encounter charts there is almost a proto rpg lurking in this game, but to turn it into one would take about as much effort as it would take to turn Chainmail into an RPG.

Aerial combat is given the most attention with rules for movement, fliers, fire, elevation & depression of guns, damage, ramming & collision, grappling, boarding, bombing, air-to-ground combat, fire at structures, and ground-to-air fire, with tables for resolving these combat situations.

The last section sparsely describes characters and creatures of Barsoom before going into the final tables and charts. Including John Carter, Ulysses Paxton, Carthoris, Tars Tarkas, Solon of Okar ,Mors Kajak, Tardos Mors, Kantos Kan, and the various martian races. 

There are also short descriptions of the various creatures like white apes, darseen, malagor, and orluks.  It mentions that other animals are not covered, since they are already described sufficiently in the novels.

"Warriors of Mars" is a standalone wargame, related more to Chainmail than to D&D, the enthusiasm for Barsoom shines through and this piece of gaming history provides a glimpse of what could have been if the tales of ERB had become the prominent backdrop for roleplaying adventures.

Resources

Warriors of the Red Planet RPG

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34303/warriors-mars

http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2017/08/d-on-barsoom-art-by-chris-holmes.html

http://ironrationales.blogspot.com/2010/08/warriors-of-mars.html

https://archive.org/details/WarriorsOfMarsTheWarfareOfBarsoomInMiniature1974/mode/2up

Viking Gods a TSR minigame Playtest Review

A short review of the 1982 TSR minigame Viking Gods.

In the early 80's TSR published several minigames. They were ubiquitous in book and game stores all throughout the US. Were they any good?

Viking Gods is a Norse mythos themed war game simulating the battle of Ragnarök between the Gods of Asgard and the Forces of Chaos lead by Loki. 2 players, competitive, 1-2 hours. Rules are simple enough an 8 year old, or even younger can grasp them.

The goal for Chaos players is to destroy Yggdrasil.

The goal for Asgard players is to defend Yggdrasil and defeat Loki.

It is a simplified war game. Each turn players may move each piece up to 2 spaces until they encounter an opponent, then they may not move. But they can engage in combat. Pieces are either defeated, pushed back a space, or the combat is a draw. With a simple die roll on a combat table.

The table is a sort of primitive predecessor to the FASERIP column shift system with the columns determined by the defender's strength subtracted from the attackers strength total.

There are two rules categories: Basic and Advanced. The basic rules are a little too vanilla. The advanced game gives each piece a special ability that makes combat and tactics much more interesting. Even the advanced game is simple enough that an experienced gamer could just start with those. The rulebook includes more background text on Norse mythology than necessary to play, but is fun to read.

One challenge with the advanced game is that the tokens are plain and do not have their special ability printed on them, so there is constant referring in the rulebook to the chart that explains their abilities. There are custom tokens that are better to use because the token's effect is printed on them. See the custom tokens.

Video review https://youtu.be/UO4URyLjlxg:

The combat table is reportedly misprinted, here is a corrected version along with the custom tokens CLICK HERE:

More info on BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2483/viking-gods

Boothill Retrospective

Boothill came out in 1975, just one year after the original D&D.

A few things stand out about this 34 page booklet. The first is how much of an improvement the production values and layout are compared to previous TSR books. The margins give more room for the text to breath, the spacing between paragraphs is consistent, the headers use an appropriate flavored font, the tables are well aligned, the index is well presented. It is far better organized. All of these things add up to a much more legible and comprehensible rules book.

Boothill is not an RPG, it is clearly a war game but sits in the space between the two with a focus on one-on-one gunfights. It is so close to being an RPG, it has simple character creation and advancement rules, if it just had a few more options and more robust experience rules it could be played as one. It describes a combat system, NPC stats, creating an old West town, and has two scenarios; the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral, and the Battle of Coffeyville. Several characters are given brief write-ups that look like this:

Wyatt Earp
Speed: 97
Gun Accuracy: 96
Bravery: 97
Strength: 99
Experience: 9

The game is percentile based. Character stats went from 1 Feeble to 00 Mighty. Speed is how fast the character can draw,  Accuracy is a bonus to hit as is Bravery, Strength is more or less Hit Points, and Experience is gained after each Gunfight which improves the character's To Hit over time.

Weapons are described with Range (short, medium, long), Rate (of fire), Weapon Speed, Ammunition, and Reload time. Rather than specific weapons such as Colt 45 or Winchester rifle the weapons are categorized more generically like (SAR) Single Action Revolver or (LBR) Long Barrel Rifle. This is a good approach as there were hundreds of different models of weapons produced during that time and trying to list them all is nearly impossible. And there are real gun aficionados who will nitpick the differences, regardless how subtle, between different makes and models.

The turn sequence, like in Chainmail, is described as either Simultaneous Movement, or Sequential Movement. Sequential goes like this:

SEQUENTIAL MOVEMENT
A. Movement: Each player moves (or opts not to move) in turn, as outlined in the movement rule section.
B. Combat: Each player. after his move, has the option to initiate combat immediately after his move. All players wishing to fire do so at this time, and no one may fire again until all players have had the opportunity to move.

1. Players state which characters are firing at what target and with how many shots.
2. Order of Firing: Use the FIRST SHOT section to determine the order in which the characters fire. Keep in mind that as players take wounds it will affect their speed if they have not yet fired in the round.
3. To Hit: When it becomes a player' s turn to fire, compute his chance to hit as in the To Hit section and roll a pair or percentage dice to determine if he hits his target.
4. Hit Location and Wounds: If the player hits his target, use the HIT LOCATION AND WOUNDS section to determine the location and extent of the damage.

C. Brawls: After each round of combat (or after all players have moved, if no combat has occurred in the turn) use the BRAWLING section to resolve all hand-to-hand fights. Each participant shall have two rounds of brawling per turn.

This describes turn order and combat far better than D&D books did at the time.

First Shot is one of the best mechanics described in the game. It may be one of the best initiative systems designed.

First Shot:
To determine who gets the first shot add and subtract the bonuses and penalties shown on the FIRST SHOT CHART. Do this for each figure firing that turn. The one with the highest positive total fires first, with other figures firing in order thereafter. Note that subsequent firing must be adjusted for any wounds scored upon the firing figure by figures firing previously. In case of ties fire is considered as taking place simultaneously with regard to the figures whose total scores were tied.

The chart it refers to lists bonuses and penalties based on each character's Speed score, the speed of their Weapon, Surprise factor, Movement such as riding a horse, and Wounds the character may have. It is a solid variety of factors without being exhaustive. There is enough information in the chart that the referee could make calls on other factors not listed.

To Hit is simple: you have a base 50% chance to hit. Roll percentile add & subtract all the modifiers, if the total is 50% or better you hit. Then roll Hit Location which could more accurately be called damage which is subtracted from the character's Strength score. Damage is either 3, 7, or Dead. Fast and brutal as a gunfight should be.

Wounds affect a character's To Hit modifiers and their Movement Rate.

There is an advanced hit location chart that still do the same damage to Strength, it just provides more specifics as to what part of the body is wounded.

D&D is notoriously known for not handling unarmed combat well, too bad it didn't use the excellent system from Boothill! Under Brawls is described punches and grappling. Followed by a chart that describes bonuses and penalties for different moves like jabbing, kicking, bear hugs, and so on. It integrates seamlessly into the combat system.

There is an Advanced Combat system that covers shooting while moving. Arching arrows over cover like a wall, and a Morale system. It isn't really much more complicated, I'd probably use it were I to run a game of original Boot Hill. There are also optional rules that complicate the First Shot system and adds a Greased Lightning rule, Sharpshooting which is almost a skill, and some other miscellaneous rules like dynamite, aging, and more.

This is not a game that was common in the groups I gamed with. It wasn't until much later I picked up a copy and played it a few times at game conventions. But by then Deadlands was far more popular and easier to get into a gaming session with.

Boothill is one of TSR's missed opportunities. Why did TSR keep making wargames when it was clear their RPG line was taking off? All focus should have gone into the money maker when you've got the tiger by the tail. There was a time before GURPS that TSR could have owned the universal roleplaying game genre and Boothill could have been the first entry into that by converting D&D into a western, and then into sci-fi with Metamorphosis Alpha using D&D rules, and on into other genres. I know hindsight is 20/20 but it seems it should have been obvious to expand D&D in this way. They even knew it, because in the introduction to of Men & Magic under Scope Gary Gygax states "Actually, the scope need not be restricted to the medieval; it can stretch from the prehistoric to the imagined future". There it is. Instead they let Traveller gobble up the sci-fi genre, Cthulhu took horror, superheroes was taken up with Champions, and of course GURPS owned the universal genre.

In summary, Boothill is excellent for what it is. A fast, simple wargame-like treatment of the western genre. I'd even suggest that some of the mechanics were innovative for its day. It falls short of being great by its lack of depth in character creation and setting information.

TSR Comic Page Ads

Bill Willingham has become a legend in the comic book industry. Creator of the much lauded Fables series, he continues to work in comics mostly writing. He still draws, but more for private commissions than for published work. To D&D fans he was a notable artist on early D&D books including being the first to draw dark elves for the Drow series. Many remember his iconic frontispiece drawing for Red Box D&D of the adventurers fighting a red dragon.

On his YouTube channel Bill Willingham recently talked about his experiences as a young artist in the early days of TSR. He drew all but the first 2 D&D comic page ads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR09PH-jc40

I barely remember seeing these as a kid, and I didn't even realize they had a continuing story that left on a cliff hanger. This compelled me to look them up so I could read the story. Apparently it had developed a bit of a fan base who were disappointed the stories were never finished. But ending the ads was a marketing decision as they decided to spend their advertising budget elsewhere. Of particular fascination is the restrictions the Lady of Pain inflicted on the ads. They could show no violence and no greed. So no fighting or getting treasures, pretty much the heart of a D&D adventure!

The characters are:

Grimslade the magic-user
Indel the elf
Valerius fighter
Saren the cleric

Interestingly in an issue of Dungeon magazine the characters were given stats for 4th edition D&D. One of the harder editions to convert back into classic D&D, but it can be done with a little effort.

When I was poking around trying to get more information I found the Kuronons blog that has some additional interesting details.

Review of a TSR Classic: Gods Demigods & Heroes

I'm working on a new video series on how Norse Mythology has been handled in tabletop RPG's over the years, starting with the original Gods, Demigods & Heroes by TSR Rules.

https://youtu.be/1MHIDcyT7vs

Gen Con 50

With all the preparation for Gen Con, and being so busy at the con I haven't posted much here lately. Time to change that!

I first attended Gen Con back in 2000 when 3rd edition D&D came out. It was mind-blowingly awesome. I attended several years in a row and started showing there when they moved to Indianapolis in 2003. I stopped attending around 2011. I showed there again this year for the first time in years. The Artist Alley has gotten so good, and the show has grown exponentially with the rise of the popularity of boardgames.

This year, the 50th anniversary, they did something special and made a tribute to the first Gen Con with a recreation of the Horticultural Hall and an exhibit of the history of tabletop gaming specifically related to wargaming and RPG's.

I took several pictures. Here are a few to start with:

Recreation of the Horticultural Hall Entrance

Early Gen Con Program Guides

Early Editions of Chainmail

The Original DMG Cover Art!

Dave Sutherland III's Original Iconic Paladin in Hell Drawing

Early Draft of D&D and the Contract Between TSR and Dave Arneson

3-volume Rules Cyclopedia

Dungeons & Dragons 3-volume Rules Cyclopedia. Japan. Mediaworks, TSR Inc.

In 1991 TSR published in Japan a chunky 3-volume Rules Cyclopedia set. Looking at these photos it makes me a little jealous that they weren't published in English too.

Look at how lavishly illustrated, many in full color no less, these books are a real treasure.

For just $425 on this eBay auction you can get your very own set!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dungeons-Dragons-3-volume-Rules-Cyclopedia-Japan-Mediaworks-TSR-Inc-/192244805158

Erik of Tenkar's Tavern has posted a great interview of Tim Kask he found. The video was posted back in October last year on the Dorks of Yore channel, but I somehow missed it until Erik pointed it out.

Tim Kask talks about the early early days of TSR with lots of anecdotes (and some pie) about those days long ago when this weird little game called Dungeons & Dragons just came out which nobody really quite understood yet. It's nearly two hours long, only meandering occasionally, and a great ride through TSR history.

Cavaliers & Roundheads - TSR's first book

A common misconception is that Chainmail was TSR's first book and out of that came OD&D. The history is much more convoluted and interesting than that.

Cavaliers & Roundheads was TSR's first publication, and the sales were intended to help fund publishing OD&D. In a cruel twist of fate things went awry and the history of TSR became a convoluted mess after that. But that is another story.

OD&D was already well into development when Cavaliers & Roundheads was published. So this game had little impact on OD&D except in a few cosmetic ways. The format of the book: saddle-stitched digest sized. A cover that established the basic layout printed monochrome on textured paper. Plain san serif font body text, clean simple layout. Crude amateurish art.

Cavaliers & Roundheads is like a cliff's notes version of Chainmail. It is succinct, to the point, has no fluff except a couple of pages of art describing uniforms. And it is musketeer-like focused on its topic: the English Civil War of 1642. No dragons, no uber powered Landsknechte, just English, Scottish, and Irish troops battling for the political fate of the Kingdom of England. Even if you're not a history buff you've no doubt heard the famous name Oliver Cromwell, this war is why.

 

Skimming through it the system appears very similar if not identical to Chainmail. Considering it has the same authors that isn't surprising. I just got this copy and am still reading through it, I hope to get a few play tests in to get a feel for how it works. I've started a post over at ODD74 if you want to follow along as I read and comment on it.

http://odd74.proboards.com/thread/12450/read-cavaliers-roundheads

Alternate Red Box Cover

An interesting bit of Dungeons & Dragons art history just popped up. An anecdote by Frank Mentzer about the creation of the famous mass market version of the Red Box. Apparently the original composition Larry Elmore designed for it showed much more of what a D&D game is really like with a party coordinating to take on a red dragon.

The original sketch is up for sale if you want to jump into the bidding war. Link below.

Frank Mentzer said:

Initial cover concepts were similar to the previous edition, portraying a group of adventurers with a dragon. That was almost used, but it bothered Gary. After the color images were ready to be finalized in oils, after a lot of plans were made, Gary changed course. He asked Larry to focus the action on just one fighter and one dragon...

Sauce

Classic D&D Adventures in Print on Demand

This news has been rocketing across the various OSR blogs. Wizards of the Coast has begun releasing classic adventures in POD. It will be interesting what effect this has on the collector market, in particular prices on eBay.

Here is the Wizards landing page sorted by Print:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/44/Wizards-of-the-Coast?filters=0_0_0_45285_0

The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role Playing Game

If adventure has a game, it must be Indiana Jones

This is going to be an in depth review of The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role Playing Game (IJRPG). This review is going to be covered in several parts. This portion is going to be a high level overview, then we'll get into combat & system, character creation (yes, there is character creation!), and then some of the supplements.

I'm going to dive into the most maligned RPG of all time. A game so infamous that an industry award called the "Diana Jones Award" is given out each year, in honor of just how terrible this game is. It is somewhat ironic that this award represents excellence in gaming as chosen by a select group of game industry insiders, but this is how the committee explains it:

The Diana Jones committee believes that a trophy that embodies the destruction of the last copy of one of the games industry’s most unloved and least-mourned products is a suitable symbol for the aims of the Diana Jones Award.

Unloved. Least-mourned. This is how the Indiana Jones RPG is remembered.

Based on Raiders of the Lost Ark which isn't just a good movie, it is one of the greatest films of all time. #36 on IMDB's top films list. #60 on AFI's top list. It holds a special place in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. Perhaps the greatest sign of how beloved this movie is: attend any convention where cosplayers roam and you will inevitably see several Indiana Joneses & Diana Joneses. But, not only was Raiders of the Lost Ark a fantastic movie, it had two terrific sequels that expanded the world and were also both well received (well, a minority did complain about Temple of Doom's sillier tone, but I happen to like it a lot).

These movies have action, adventure, mystery, great characters, and magic. All the ingredients for a fantastic game.

What went so horribly wrong? What made it so bad that it deserved to be called the worst RPG of all time? Well, apparently it is because of one fatal flaw: no character creation rules.

For this grievous sin, for this unpardonable oversight, for this unspeakable crime against gaming, IJRPG was banished to the nether realms, to the graveyard of failed RPG's.

I disagree.

The Adventures of Indiana Jones is a remarkably high quality product for its day. It included a rulebook, an adventure, a battle map (a world map on reverse), a referee's screen, 3d cardboard fold-ups, dice and a crayon! That is a lot of value packed into the box.

The next installment of this review I'm going to do an overview of the system itself.

On a side note as I was writing this review, the news dropped that John Williams will be scoring the next Indiana Jones film which will star Harrison Ford.

I've often thought that Indy works best in that period between World Wars. He is at his best when his adversaries are Nazis. Harrison Ford is great and incomparable, but so was Sean Connery as James Bond. Time for a new actor to put on the fedora and start a new story at the tail end of WWI. Imagine him meeting Private Hitler in the Great War, the beginnings of an epic rivalry...

At any rate, as I wrap this up, here are some other reviews and semi-reviews:

Not a lot of reviews on the interwebs, but this one by Doc Rotwang echoes my opinion pretty well:
http://xbowvsbuddha.blogspot.com/2012/05/youd-better-watch-your-mouth.html

Grognardia simply says "How disappointed I was when I finally got hold of a copy of the thing!"
http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2011/08/ads-of-dragon-indiana-jones-roleplaying.html

Source:
https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/43596/adventures-indiana-jones

Related, the West End Games version:
https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/45691/world-indiana-jones

Official TSR AD&D Radio show from the early 80's

Once again, master sleuth and D&D historian Jon Peterson digs up long lost treasures. This time in the form of a previously unreleased AD&D pilot radio show. The show is engaging and well produced. I found myself wanting to hear more!

https://youtu.be/N74fRQkqAJE

Gary Gygax's TSR collection on eBay

Some really amazing products from TSR's early days here.