Immortals Inc

THE KEEP from Role Aids, 1983

This old adventure 'suitable for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' is a funny sort of module based on a movie that was based on a book that was set in 1941 during World War II. You know what that means...guns in D&D!!!

It has been a while since I have seen this movie and it is on my list to re-watch. I just cannot decide if I should read the book before or after. I am currently finishing up Starship Trooper and am always pleasantly surprised by old books that are often talked about by people who I know never read them.

This was a harder module to find and the copy I found was in really good shape. I often wondered how you could take a movie set in World War II and translate it well into the world of D&D. Then I remembered that there are a lot of authors who have actual talent and can do good work.

The module is set in three different time periods spanning thousands of years with a deep back stories that take the adventurers from 12th to the 15th to the 20th century. Each time fighting a god-like creature and his followers to prevent world changing events. The conclusion of the campaign follows the movie adaptation with the module including the movie characters. There are even movie stills used as illustrations in the book.

There are pretty comprehensive rules for using German firearms and some explosives. The player characters would have a lot of fun these items, especially if they can get them back to their timeline or world.

This was considered a high level adventure (9th to 12th) at the time of publishing, but might be a little less based on modern standards. If you wanted to run something that younger players would not see coming, take a look at this adventure and give it a try. Then tell them to go and watch the movie so they can be really confused!!

#thekeep #roleaids #dungeonsanddragons

2 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 5

Immortals Inc

SPACE OPERA RPG from Fantasy Games Unlimited, 1980

You can really get a feel for an old game when you have a chance to read the first few pages and Space Opera is no exception. This is another one of those box games that I would see in the Dragon Magazine when I was young knowing I couldn't afford such a lavish boxed set back then.

And for the time, it was lavish. There is something that is lost and classic about all the old boxed RPGs. Sure, they produce them now by the hundreds, but they cannot replace the feelings of the old ones. As I have said before to produce a box set like this back in the 1970s and 1980s took time, money and getting someone to actually bring it to print. Way before the days of drag and drop, spell check and Kickstarter. You knew that whatever was in that box was someone's dreams and desires.

Reading the Forward brought me back to1980 and what the mindset of the developers could have been. The Forward tells how they were trying to capture the imagination and flavor of the Lensman Series and the latest space fantasy in theaters....STAR WARS. That last line made me laugh out loud.

Space Opera is several thick volumes of rules that contain charts, number crunching and rules that would make today's gamer fall over from exhaustion. To sit and read this now would be a challenge. Back when it was made, it was just trying to capture the rules and feeling of playing a space RPG without the assistance of a computer or the internet. All you had were books. There was no room for full color pages of fantastic art or full character profiles. You needed those pages for the precious rules to make the game work. Space Opera is a great example of that.

There was very little room for art. That was reserved for covers and box fronts. Don't get me wrong, the art is important. Deciding to even pick up a game was based on how well you liked the cover art. Like old sci-fi novels, the art on the front had to be fantastic or it got passed over. Space Opera did a good job with the flashy art on the cover. One character does look a little like a favorite Wookie we all know, but what can you do.

To my surprise one of my favorite artist, Jeff Dee, has a lot of interior artwork. If you have not seen his work, give it a Google. He helped build the fantasy art of RPGs into what it is today.

I was able to secure this box set with an extra book for a local seller. The box has some wear and tear but the interior books are excellent. There is even an old Fantasy Games Unlimited catalog and mail order form. Those are the greatest. What I am on the lookout for now is the Space Marines supplement they made for this game. I am sure that one will be hard to find!!

#spaceopera #fantasygamesunlimited #jeffdeeartist

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 20

Immortals Inc

NeverWorld RPG from ForEverWorld Books, 1996.

Well...another flea market find. I was wandering around the market, saw this 'well loved' box and passed it up. I had to do the usual big circle around the flea market and came back to it. I asked the price and couldn't really pass it up.

This is a pretty thick RPG box with the core book being nearly 300 pages. On the box top it says 'Upgraded Edition with Insta-Play Kit'. Not going to lie...I do not see anything 'insta' in this box.

Being honest I do not know anything about this game other then I do remember seeing it advertised in magazines and online years ago. It was popular enough to warrant a box set with additional material. The box set appears to be well put together with a full color oversized map, core rule book, a city book and a race book. There is also a GM Screen and what appears to be a character sheet.

The best that I can tell is that the game is based on a D100 system. I will have to contact some people and see if any of my associates know more about this game. I just found the game in the wild and wanted to share it.

Unfortunately, the website no longer functions. That would have been easy...

1 month ago | [YT] | 3

Immortals Inc

SPACE MASTER The RPG from I.C.E.

Another excellent find on one of the many RPG Auction sites I frequent are these three box set for the SPACE MASTER RPG, Star Strike and Armored Assault.

These are the 3rd Edition box sets, I believe, and came in very good condition. SPACE MASTER is part of the Rolemaster System of games that gained popularity in the 80's. Known for extensive and detailed rules and charts, it was played by many hard core gamers.

Iron Crown Enterprises was known for such products, but really shined with their Middle-Earth Roleplaying books.

The chances that I read this set of rules is very slim indeed and I just wanted these box sets and rule set to add to the collection. This was one of those games I would constantly see adds for in the Dragon Magazine, but was never able to afford or find any players at the time.

This game was labeled as great for world and character building. Giving the boxes a quick glance it brought me back to my youth when I would use the TRAVELLER rules to build starships that I would never get to play!

1 month ago | [YT] | 7

Immortals Inc

ESCAPE FROM INNSMOUTH from Chaosium

I have finally gotten an excellent piece for the RPG collection with this 1992 publication of ESCAPE FROM INNSMOUTH. This is a hard to find copy and is in excellent condition, to my surprise. Even the map and rear pages are still attached and clean.

Innsmouth has always been one of my favorite Lovecraft stories and sets the tone for the whole world if you ask me. People unknowingly drawn or born into the terrible world of the Cthulhu mythos is great horror and story telling. If you have not read any Lovecraft stories Escape from Innsmouth and The Dunwhich Horror are the best starting points.

If you are not a big reader try watching the movie DAGON or playing the video game The Sinking City. This will give a good starter for the Innsmouth setting.

Th supplement for the Call of Cthulhu RPG takes you to the city of Innsmouth by describing the city with various locations, people and backgrounds. Also included is an epic adventure which, I believe, runs the events before the short story. I have to read the adventure to be sure. As with most writings from Chaosium, especially the older ones, I am sure it will be detailed and entertaining and keeping to the mythos.

Another element of the books I have always enjoyed is the artwork. Except for the cover, which is great, all the other art is black and white and sets the tone for for the world. Character portraits push the subtle horror of the city. There is a great action piece of art where soldiers are fighting Deep Ones in a boat that is epic and terrifying at the same time.

Once I give this a read I will definitely do a little podcast about it. Stay tuned!!

2 months ago | [YT] | 20

Immortals Inc

KILLER - The Live Role Playing Game

KILLER, from Steve Jackson Games, was first published in 1981 and has had 4 different publishing since then. This game was also published in French and Spanish at one point.

As you can see I received another Steve Jackson Game in the mail! I have to keep better track of what I am buying...

For those that do not know this classic game you probably never will. This is a dinosaur of a game that was too much fun for us old players and would not last long in this particular era. But...maybe we can bring it back! (Nope!)

The basics of the game is that as a group of friends (or enemies) you would stalk around in real life trying 'assassinate' your assigned target. This game, of course, would be played for fun and with humor. Pistol replaced by water guns, hot sauce double as poison and a pillow is not a 1,000 pound boulder. You would not know who was assigned to 'kill' you, but had to be on guard. The KILLER would often strike in public and quietly.

This was obviously a fun game in high school or a college campus. Now a days...not so much.

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

Immortals Inc

OGRE from Steve Jackson Games is a classic board first published in 1977 as one of the first Micro Games. With simple game play that can be learned quickly this game has survived almost 40 years now.

This was one of the first fantasy or sci-fi board games I played when I was young and still enjoy it to this day. It is a rare chance now a days where I can bust open this Designer's Edition and get a few games in.

If you have never had the pleasure of playing this game it basically one player controlling a giant unstoppable tank and the other player controlling many units of infantry, tanks and support units trying to, well...stop the OGRE! It is played on a single board and the basic game is an open and blasted landscape. The objective of the OGRE is to get across the board and the opposing player just has to stop it.

The OGRE has a sheet with all the armor, missile, guns and tracks that are marked off as ammunition is used or it takes damage. The smaller opposing units rarely survive one hit.

There is currently a basic box set that is available that has everything you need to play. If you are lucky you can find the smaller Micro Game version which is portable and just as fun.

#OGRE #SteveJacksonGames

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 4

Immortals Inc

Traveller: Science-Fiction Adventure in the Far Future - Supplement 1 1001 Characters was published in 1978 by Game Designers' Workshop.

The Traveller RPG was originally published in 1977 and is considered one of the oldest and greatest science fiction RPG to date. It has received numerous RPG awards and is still being published and played.

I remember this was the first RPG I played after Dungeons & Dragons and can still remember the joy and wonder it brought to me. The science fiction was not overwhelming and let you journey the universe as a normal human and experience fun and wonder.

I have to highlight this Supplement as it made me laugh as I was listing it for sale this evening. This supplement is nothing more then stats for over 1000 pre-generated non-player characters. Just page after page of basic stats and words for characters or adversaries that are bare bones. Near the end of the book are about 8 flushed out characters that can be used for players characters, major allies or main villains.

I can still remember when this type of supplement was the greatest thing since you could have instant stats for different people merely by flipping though a book. Mind blowing now a days where you can push a button and have a whole town or city with flushed out occupants, business, rulers and side quests.

Amazing.

As amazing as it is, I still have a love of these old supplements. It shows how far gaming has evolved and the amount of work people have but into making this hobby better. If you ever has a chance take some time to check out some old supplements or gaming books. It will make you appreciate your favorite gaming company more.

#travellerrpg #gamedesignersworkshop

5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Immortals Inc

War of the Ring game from SPI is a classic game first published in 1976 with a license from the Tolkien Estate.

Original published as War of the Ring S.R. 1418 to 1419 it was both a miniature war game of large scale battle and a race to destroy or aquire the One Ring.

There were two supplements, Condor and Sauron, which added these classic battle scenes to the game. These games were all published separately but later combined into the boxed set you see pictured here. This was SPI's best selling game.

There was also a Designer's Edition of the War of the Ring with mounted boards and some extras.

I was able to win an auction for Middle Earth edition and to my surprise it included a copy of the Designer's Edition. The Middle Earth edition is in really good shape and will probably be displayed on the wall of the podcast room as it is a classic.

The Designer's Edition shows some wear but appears complete, so I am going to grab Tim and give this game a try.

Once played we'll do a video to talk about how they played games in the 70s!

#lordoftherings #middleearth #SPIGames

5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 25

Immortals Inc

Welcome to our newest Member: Mark!!!
May we meet for a true Gentlemen's Duel one day.

6 months ago | [YT] | 0