Into the Wild Blue Yonder - Blackmoor Adventure from tFotT and Rob Kuntz

 

Into the Blue Yonder is now available for preoder from tFotT. This adventure was written by Rob Kuntz and was demonstrated at ArneCon last weekend. The adventure is written for characters of levels 10-12 and takes the PCs on a journey through Blackmoor's Realm of the Dead, AKA the Dark Realm. 

Pre-Orders Being Taken: Into The Wild Blue Yonder By Robert Kuntz An Official Blackmoor Setting, Into The Wild Blue Yonder was used as a convention adventure at Arnecon 2. World famous Greyhawk author, Robert Kuntz has created a module to honor his old friend, Dave Arneson. This is a historic adventure as Rob has never before written a module for Blackmoor. Extensively researched in order to evoke the essence of Arneson's Blackmoor campaign, adventurers set out on a quest into the Dark Realm of the unliving to discover the secrets behind a conspiracy that could lead to a great war.

The tFotT website offers pre-orders for 30 USD and is expected to be ready for shipping in November 2024. The site has more details:

An AD&D adventure for characters levels 10-12. Special ArneCon 2 Edition -Includes signed certificate from Robert J. Kuntz! (limited to the first 100 copies). Cover may change for the final release. Into the Wild Blue Yonder is a very grounded and straight forward quest related to a story line created by Dave Arneson in his original campaign and as fictionally extended by this author. This should not of itself stop capable DMs from utilizing what is presented here in their own campaign settings. In other cases this adventure is suitable as a one-off type played out over several sessions. It also contains a lot of new source material that can be integrated into any campaign. The adventure is designed for 8 PCs of 10-12th level. DMs can substitute their own PCs for the 8 pre-generated PCs included herein while taking note of the balance in spells and items the latter possess. The action takes place in the Dark Realm (land of the dead) beneath the Goblin Hills in the Egg of Coot. It is quest oriented and centers upon the party retrieving knowledge that will eliminate a brewing revolt in the Duchy of Bulgryn, the latter which could draw adjacent Duchies into a War of the Roses scale conflict. Into the Wild Blue Yonder can either be placed in a land comparable to Oerth or it can be easily adapted to any campaign. It is connected in no small way to the lands comprising Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor & environs. A portion of the information contained herein has been derived from Dave’s Blackmoor campaign for the express purpose of continuing a legendary story line he composed concerning Marfeldt the Barbarian. Just as important was the need to recognize Pete Gaylord’s Wizard of the Wood character; and out of respect for the first wizard of RPGs I was eager to include him in the story’s plot. You’ll discover venerable histories herein which I have adapted for crafting this adventure as part of the legendary saga of Blackmoor, the first fantasy RPG campaign.

The Duchy of Bulgryn is not something mentioned in previous published versions of Blackmoor, but based on reports from the ArneCon presentation, it could be Rob Kuntz version of the Duchy of the Peaks. It is also interesting that the description from the website references Oerth along with other settings where the adventure may be set. Famoust NPCs mentioned in the adventure are The Egg of Coot, Marfeldt the Barbarian and Pete Gaylord's Wizard of the Woods. I am not sure if this means that Pete Gaylord was involved in writing this adventure, but it does seem more like a homage from Kuntz.

This is the first real game product from tFotT since Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg and the first to make explicit use of Blackmoor related locations and characters. 

-Havard

ArneCon 2024 Reports Are Coming In

As mentioned, ArneCon 2024, took place this weekend, from October 4-6. Managed by the creators of the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary (Griff Morgan and Chris Graves), the convention honoring the legacy of D&D Co-Creator Dave Arneson was held at The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, in Minneapolis MN. Although I haven't seen any numbers of participants for this year's events, organisers stated early on that the plan was for this to be a small and cozy event. Morgan stated that the convention was a highly successful and my impression is that everyone had a great time. 

It is also nice to see photos of Morgan hanging out with Vic Dorso of DaveCon. It seems that any rivalry that may have existed between the two conventions is now ancient history and Morgan stated that he plans to attend at DaveCon next year. 

I know that some announced guests did end up not showing up and a few events may not have occurred according to the program, but it looks like they had more than enough games and activities to keep the attendees busy. Some of the games were live streamed and can be viewed here. Among the Blackmoor Bunch who were present were Dave Wesely, Ross Maker, Dave Megarry, Bill Hoyt and possibly others. 

In particular, I have to say I found Rob Kuntz adventure particularly interesting, involving legendary Blackmoor characters like Marfeldt and the Wizard of the Woods as well as reference to places like the Duchy of the Peaks and the Realm of the Egg of Coot. 

Did you attend the convention? I would love to hear from you!

More discussion about this article at The Comeback Inn.

-Havard

Photo by: Marianne Wong

ArneCon 2024 T-Shirts and Other News

 

ArneCon is the convention organized by The Fellowship of the Thing, producers of the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary. As I mentioned back in February, this year's convention will take place on October 4-6. The addition of Rob Kuntz as a guest of honor is a very welcome addition along with others who also have a long history with Blackmoor. 

The art for the t-shirt was announced yesterday. I like the image of Dave as a mage in front of the castle. You can find out more about the convention, events and how to get tickets here. 

Also, several Blackmoor alumni may be spotted at the MN Gathering, is coming up on the 29th of this month!

Are you going to ArneCon this year? Let me know about your plans and what you are the most excited about!

-Havard

City of the Gods (2008) for the Dave Arneson's Blackmoor d20 Line

 

The oldest published reference to the City of the Gods is in the First Fantasy Campaign. This adventure proved deadly to many of the player characters from Dave Arneson's campaign and was probably played out shortly after the publication of Dungeons & Dragons. Another group of players who realised the dangers of this fabled location were none other than Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz, as chronicled by Rob Kuntz in Oerth Journal #6. It was clear at the time that Gary wanted to explore the idea of combining fantasy and science fiction. In 1980, TSR published the adventure Expedition to Barrier Peaks. Written by Gary Gygax, it was a different, but similar concept. It was the 1987 TSR module DA3 City of the Gods (Dave Arneson & David Ritchie) that would finally make the adventure available to D&D players worldwide. 

In 2008, Dave Arneson's company Zeitgeit Games decided to revisit the adventure. Written by Harley Stroh, the d20 version is not a mere rehash of the 1987 module, but explores other parts of the crashed spaceship that is at the heart of the adventure. It also expands the lands surrounding the City of the Gods greatly. To me this will remain one of the highlights of the d20 Blackmoor line. 

The back cover reads:

Deep in the heart of the harsh landscape of the Valley of the Ancients lies Blackmoors greatest mystery an accursed place the local desert tribes know only as the City of the Gods. One royal expedition to the site has already failed to return and now the heroes must traverse unforgiving wilds and dangers untold in search of truth and if they can survive the journey the glory of a lifetime. Whet your blades and ready your spells heroes for the greatest of trials awaits! Welcome to City of the Gods one of the most infamous and enduring mysteries in the long and storied history of Dave Arnesons Blackmoor. Designed for four to six characters of 9th to 10th level this epic adventure is sure to challenge even the bravest heroes be they peasants or nobles warriors or wizards. Will you succeed where so many others have failed or will you too fall victim to the unearthly perils that lie in wait in the forgotten City of the Gods?

Title: City of the Gods

Author: Harley Stroh 

Executive Producers: Dave Arneson & Dustin Clingman

Editor: C.A. Suleiman

ISBN: N/A

Pages: 108

Publishers: Zeitgeist Games & Code Monkey Press (2008)

Purchase a copy at DrivethruRPG (currently for 3$) - This blog does not use affiliate links.

Do you have a copy of this adventure? Have you adventured near the City of the Gods?

Read more about City of the Gods at The Comeback Inn,

-Havard

ArneCon 2 Early Bird Badges

 ArneCon 2024 takes place on October 4-6 2024. This Dave Arneson themed convention is hosted by Fellowship of the Thing; the producers of the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary and The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg. 

Guests of honor this year include:

• Malia Arneson
• David Wesely 
• David Megarry 
•  Ross Maker 
•  Paul Stormberg
• D.H. Boggs 
•  Rob Kuntz 
•  Alexander Macris 
•  Ronin Wong

Badges at reduced prices can be bought via the ArneCon website.

Are you going to ArneCon? What is your favorite convention?

-Havard

New Release from Rob Kuntz: The 4th Category

 

Rob Kuntz returns to exploring the history of D&D in the year of the game's 50th Anniversary. 

I just got an email with the following:

The 4th Category: a ground-breaking study which identifies D&D™'s true origins... The 4th Category is Rob Kuntz's major update on Dave Arneson's True Genius, as well as a preview to his upcoming opus, A New Ethos in Game Design. Available NOW from Three Line Studio Store. 

Rob of course was there from the beginning of the game's history so it will be interesting to hear more of his thoughts on those events. Rob Kuntz was extremely helpful and supportive when I started out doing research about Dave Arneson. I enjoyed his book, Dave Arneson's True Genius. It is going to be interesting to see what this update contains. 

Get this book from Three Line Studios 

Did you read Dave Arneson's True Genius? Are you going to pick up this book? Let me know!

Discuss this article at The Comeback Inn

Note: This article is not sponsored. This blog is non profit and not monetized.

-Havard

 

Dave Arneson's True Genius Now as PDF from Rob Kuntz and TLS

 

I just got an email informing me about this the other day. Rob Kuntz and Three Line Studios have sold out the first print run of Dave Arneson's True Genius by Robert J. Kuntz:

Now available as PDFs! Previously published in print format and recently sold out, Rob's treatise Dave Arneson's True Genius and iconic adventure module Dark Druids are now – for the very first time – available in downloadable PDF format, exclusively from Three Line Studio Store! And there is more! Special Offer (20% off) when ordering them together as part of the DATG-DARK DRUIDS Bundle (*valid until 5th July 2023). Happy gaming!

Visit the Three Line Studios here

Rob Kuntz is a name that should be well known to all old school gamers and I would also like to say that Rob has always been supportive of Dave's legacy and he was extremely helpful to me when I was starting out exploring this topic on my blog. Dave Arneson's True Genius belongs on the shelf on any self respecting admirer of D&D's origins. 

See also this discussion at The Comeback Inn 

-Havard

Was Kotaku Wrong to Rehash Arneson vs. Gygax Debate?

Two days ago Cecilia D'Anastasio  published an article called Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax at a website called Kotaku. While I found the article to be well researched and making some very interesting points, some of Gary's family members and fans have reacted strongly against the article while others feel like this is stirring up old bygones that should have been left alone. Others again point to the fact that D'Anastasio wrote an article on Gary's Widow Gail Gygax earlier this year which many saw as rather one-sided.

Gary Gygax passed away in 2008 at 69 and Dave Arneson passed in 2009 at 61. While the two had a falling out early in their careers, both men apparently moved on long before they died. Is the "who did more, Dave or Gary" discussion really worth dragging up or is it just something D&D fans who love drama use to entertain themselves while getting in pointless fights over it on forums and social media platforms?

I have tended to stay away from this debate myself. Although my work has always focused on Blackmoor and Dave Arneson, I have always seen myself as a fan of both D&D creators. I have never had any interest in the drama beyond learning the basic facts of what happened.

The problem, however, is that by leaving this discussion alone, we risk forgetting half of the story. The story that is most often forgotten is the story about Dave Arneson and the Minnesota Gamers. The Kotaku article is correct in saying that some misconceptions about the history of the hobby are being perpetuated by books and articles that have been published on the subject over the years. Several documentaries are in the works and with only one notable exception, these appear to focus on the importance of Gary Gygax.

The topic that even the best works on D&D History get wrong is on the importance of Chainmail in the development of D&D. The Kotaku article correctly identifies how by describing Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign as simply a Chainmail Game, the real significance of Arneson's contributions to D&D are lost. I have talked about this problem back in 2016 on this blog.

I think the best part of the Kotaku article is where it describes Dave and Gary's contributions to the creation of D&D this way:

To be sure, there would be no Dungeons & Dragons without Gary Gygax. Chainmail is a clear influence for D&D’s famous combat rules, and Gygax’s particular tastes in literature and voracious reading habit helped populate D&D’s world with monsters, gods, and legendary beasts. Gygax saw the potential in Blackmoor, or the aspects of Chainmail it happened to bring out, and moved quickly and purposefully enough to put the idea into a publishable format. But what gets lost is that neither would there be D&D without Dave Arneson. And indeed, the things that D&D fans love the most about the game—the things that distinguish “role-playing” from “fantasy wargaming”—were Arneson’s vision.

By simply choosing to avoid these discussions, I think we risk overlooking the importance of powerful ideas and concepts that are still found at the core of the hobby today. Some of these ideas are the very things Dave passed onto the hobby, in part drawn from his friend David Wesely's Braunstein games and other ideas brought in by their fellow gamers in Minnesota.

More importantly to new generations of D&D fans, I think there is much more to learn from David Arneson and his friends. Because Arneson left TSR (or was forced to leave) so early, many of the ideas and concepts that Dave Arneson's Gaming Group experimented with in the late 60s and onwards never made it into D&D. Perhaps learning more about Dave Arneson and his friends and what they did in gaming can inspire young gamers today to take the hobby to new places in the future!

In the last decades I have been researching the story of Dave Arneson and his friends, not because I love to dig up dirt or because I want to hurt the legacy of Gary Gygax. I don't like hurting anyone's feelings. I have been doing this because I am interested in truth. There are many people out there telling Gary's story, so it is only fair that some are telling Dave's as well. Perhaps the Kotaku article could have been written in a more moderate fashion and avoided some characteristics, a few quotes and its provocative heading. But at least it is another voice telling Dave's story. Its not like our corner is that crowded.





-Havard

Arneson turns C&C Map into RPG World

The Great Kingdom was an attempt by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz to create a "mythical world" for their Castles & Crusades Society. New details of this appear in Jon Peterson's new book, Playing the World. The first mention of the Great Kingdom appeared in the Domesday Book #6 and the map appeared in Domesday Book #9. In this fanzine, Rob Kuntz is referred to as King and Gary Gygax and other members are given other titles.  However, what does this mean in the context of the C&C Society being mainly an organization for Medieval Miniature War Gamers?

For Dave Arneson, however the nature of the map and other details about the society grew to get a deeper meaning. With the Blackmoor Game, the focus shifted from skirmish units and the vague war gaming notion of "Generals" to real flesh and blood characters. The setting Arneson created for these player controlled characters was called Blackmoor of course, but what of the lands beyond the Castle and town?



In the introduction to the original Dungeons & Dragons game, Gary Gygax writes:

'From the map of the "land" of the "Great Kingdom" and environs -- the territory of the C&C Society -- Dave located a nice bog wherein to nest the weird enclave of "Blackmoor," a spot between the "Great Kingdom" and the fearsome "Egg of Coot."'

On his blog, Zenopus examines the exact location of Blackmoor on the map that became the basis for Arneson's campaign and later also the basis for the World of Greyhawk Setting.  In an RPG-like context, the world of the Great Kingdom also gained a new depth. "King" Rob Kuntz was no longer just the leader of the was gaming association, but a character living in this imagined world, controlling the Kingdom. In Arneson's game, the King would sometimes send troops to aid Blackmoor against its many enemies.

Rob Kuntz himself may not have known about this, had it not been for the article Facts About Black Moor by Dave Arneson published in Domesday Book #13. I imagine the editors must have been thrilled to see someone taking their "world" so seriously!

Img Source

More discussion of this article here.

-Havard

Earl of Walworth

In the third year of his reign King Robert I of Thonia established the Northern Marshes as an outpost of his realm. To secure those lands, he ordered the construction of fortifactions there, which would later become the foundations of Blackmoor Castle. One of King Robert's staunchest supporters and an eager advocate for expanding the kingdom was the Earl of Walworth. For his efforts for the realm, Walworth was awarded with the Order of the Morningstar, one of the highest orders of the Empire. However, relations between the Walworths and the Royal Family were not always amicable. At one point Walworth even attempted to assume the throne himself! However, once Robert I had reclaimed the throne with the support from the lord of Blackmoor, Walworth explained that his actions were based on the rumour that the king had perished. Because of this, Walworth was able to avoid disgrace and his line remains strong among Thonian nobility even today.

Behind the Curtains:
Earl of Walworth was Gary Gygax' title in the Castle & Crusade Society. The story about his attempt to assume the throne is based on the fact that #10 of the Domesday Book lists Gygax as King rather than Kuntz. Other details of Walworth's story are also derived from notes from the C&C Society. While Walworth is never mentioned in any Blackmoor material, we know that Dave Arneson did incorporate much of the structure from the C&C Society as background for his campaign.




Image Source


-Havard

The Oerth Journal

I was pleasantly surprised when it was recently announced that the Oerth Journal is being revived. The Oerth Journal is a Greyhawk periodicle, but should also be of interest to all Blackmoor fans. In particular, #5 which details the Greyhawk version of the Archbarony of Blackmoor, and #6 detailing Rob Kuntz recollections of Robilar and Mordenkeinen's adventure in the City of the Gods, where Dave Arneson also contributed with commentaries. In addition to these articles, the series include many gems and pieces, many of which were authored by notables from the industry's past and present.

The Greyhawk Grognard blog has a nice index of the Oerth Journals issue #1 to 25 which can be a useful starting point. A new website has been set up for the Oerth Jorunal here. You can also go directly to their downloads page.

Currently the new leadership of the Journal are looking for submissions. Find out more about this here.


-Havard

Mordenkainen's adventures in Blackmoor

Although Gary Gygax created Mordenkainen as his first D&D character as late as 1973, I'd like to imagine that the character he played in his first RPG adventure was a sort of Proto-Mordenkainen. This first game I am referring to is of course the Blackmoor game session of the winter of 1972, when Dave Arneson and David Megarry went to Lake Geneva, which I wrote about yesterday.

According to Rob Kuntz, this game included both dungeon adventure and outdoors exploration. From what Kuntz describes, tt seems like the experience must have made a considerable impression on Gary: 

"After the initial Blackmoor adventure events proceeded at a furious pace.  Phone calls to Dave.  Letters exchanged between the two.  During this time EGG noted that he had begun crafting a “dungeon” setting similar to Dave’s Blackmoor. About two weeks after this adventure, Gary handed me a slim manuscript which had been mailed to him by David.  I sat down and read for the first time the rules that David had used during it."

This was of course the beginning of D&D, but it was not the last time for Gygax and Kuntz to play with Arneson as the Dungeon Master. In 1976, those three sat down in TSR's Dungeon Hobby Shop. The two players used their legendary characters Mordenkainen and Robilar. By now, both characters were incredibly powerful and Dave had to limit the number of magical items they were allowed to bring to the table. Their destination was the City of the Gods. Dave Arneson's core group had already made several expeditions to this fabled city, most of which had been disasterous for the player characters. Kuntz and Gygax must have felt confident in their high level characters and played quite recklessly, as Dave Arneson later recalled:

"In this expedition there was a rather indiscriminate and widespread use of lightning bolts which could be observed from a multitude of points throughout the city. The use of such pyrotechnics from a very early stage in the adventure was risky to say the least and was one of the reasons that more and more wandering monsters were encountered thereafter. As the adventurers spent more and more time within the city confines they made little or no attempt to conceal themselves or their activities and so more roving creatures were drawn to their ramblings."
-Dave Arneson, Oerth Journal #6

This lack of caution nearly cost Robilar his life. Fortunately Mordenkainen was able to save his friend and the two were among the few to have survived exploring this deadly place. Details of this adventure can be found in Oerth Journal #6.


Image Source.

-Havard

David R. Megarry

Dave R. Megarry (center) 1974

In 1964 a group of gamers in St.Paul Minnesota founded the Midwest Military Simulation Association. Dave Arneson joined this group when he was in high school. Another member of this group was David R. Megarry. When Dave Arneson  started the Blackmoor game, Megarry was one of the players. In this game Dave Arneson presented Megarry with something that fascinated the player:

"Arneson drew up the first Dungeon map for a Blackmoor adventure that was expected to run one day and then (probably) the map would be brough back out if anyone ever went there again.   We played, everyone agreed that the game had gone really smoothly, and the next day we were back out in the kingdom, escorting some merchants through the woods or whatever.  Then Dave Megarry arrived with the prototype "Dungeon" game under his arm.  He had distilled the complex, open-ended Blackmoor dungeno crawl into a simple but practical board game.  He had also identified that, by restricting the players to a limited set of options (go left, or right, or back, and not  "NbyNW for three minutes. Now can the dragons see them there or not..." the Dungeon made everything manageable.  He and Dave Arneson discussed this, and from then on, the Dungeon was where most of the action was going to take place." (-David Wesely)

In the winter of 1972 Dave Arneson and David Megarry went down to Lake Geneva to present Megarry's "Dungeon!" game to Gary Gygax. During their meeting, Arneson also ran a Blackmoor game for Megarry, Gary Gygax, Ernie Gygax, Rob Kuntz, Terry Kuntz. As most of you will know, this lead to the creation of D&D in 1974. Megarry's Dungeon! game was released by TSR in 1975. Over at the Comeback Inn forum, we have been discussing how Megarry's Dungeon and Dave Arneson's Blackmoor game may have influenced eachother.


Image source

-Havard

More RJK on Arneson

Rob J Kuntz has been posting some interesting thoughts on the movies that inspired Dave Arneson on his blog. I have previously mentioned another post by RJK about Arneson's combining of science fiction and fantasy. I always love reading about RJK's memories of Dave. I think the first thing I read where he talks about the D&D co-creator is the recollections from Robilar's Journey to the City of the Gods. It is no wonder that Arneson refers in the FFC to King Robert I of Geneva as the ruler who once founded Blackmoor.

I especially liked the map Kuntz put up about where everyone lived in Lake Geneva in relation to eachother. I'm stealing it:

-Havard

Interesting thoughts from RJK

Robert J. Kuntz has an interesting article over at his Lord of the Green Dragons blog where he is talking about his upcoming project, the Machine Level. In the article mr Kuntz suggests that Arneson was likely the first DM to blend the elements of science fiction and fantasy in his City of the Gods adventures. According to Kuntz, this was something that Gygax, Arneson and Kuntz himself were all interested in at the time. Kuntz goes on to mention various interesting examples of this in the early days of D&D.

He also goes on to credit the creation of the Shambling Mound to Arneson, a creature Gygax and Kuntz first encountered when they journeyed to the fabled City of the Gods with Arneson behind the DM screen, as chronicled in Oerth Journal#6.

I am looking forward to seeing RJK's Machine Level!





-Havard

City of the Gods: Bringing the Mystery back

Fans of the so called Golden Age D&D from the 1970s and early 80s sometimes criticizes later era game material for suffering from a need to create too much coherence, explaining much more than is really neccessary in order to run a fun game. The downside of this is of course that it detracts from what is important and even takes away some of the mystery.

Now, this is not normally my view of things. I am very interested in early age D&D, but I am also a fan of many of the products that were made in later decades. When looking at the various versions of City of the Gods, I am beginning to think that they were right. The best source to Dave Arneson's original version of City of the Gods is Rob Kuntz' account from the game Dave ran for him and Gary Gygax. The FFC also has references to the City of the Gods, but is fairly vague on the details.

While the 1970s sources are clear on the fact that the City of the Gods is a source of technology, it is Ritchie and Arneson's DA3 which introduces the space ship and its crewmembers. Granted, Stephen Rocklin goes all the way back to Supplement II, but even there it is unclear to whether St. Stephen is from space, another dimension or what. The vagueness of the nature of the city makes it more mysterious, leaving room for each player and DM to figure things out for themselves.




Image Source

-Havard

El Raja Key and Blackmoor

The more I dig into the stories of the early days of the Blackmoor Campaign, the more I see how much it is connected to the other campaign settings being created at the same time. In order to learn more about the Great Kingdom (which later became Thonia) of the C&C Setting, I have been doing some much needed reading up on Greyhawk. However, it seems like what I just as much should have been doing is to learn more about the worlds of Robert J Kunz.

Kuntz was kind enough to direct me to one of his own current projects: El Raja Key. In this upcoming book, Kuntz also details the impact a few adventures in Blackmoor had on the Greyhawk campaign:

"Within 4-6 weeks of our first adventure into Blackmoor Gary had a rough first draft of the new rules and several levels of the new dungeon, Greyhawk, to play-test these.  His daughters and Ernie were the first adventurers; the second one consisted of myself (Robilar), my brother Terry (Terik), Ernie Gygax (Tenser) and Elise Gygax (Ahlissa).  Within 4 weeks of this second adventure and the ones that followed on a daily and nightly basis, I crafted the first levels of El Raja Key, at first with the intent of only judging Gary therein, as he had been pulling double duty with writing the D&D rules as well as designing the levels beneath Greyhawk Castle.  After starting his PCs Yrag and Mordenkainen within it, Gary took his first step at making me the co-DM of the Greyhawk “Campaign” as then understood.  As the play-tests had been fast and furious,  many of the earliest PCs had grown very quickly in level and were moving to the outdoor.  I was allowed to DM these outdoor adventures just prior to completing my journey as Robilar to “China” (which earned me the co-DM mantle permanently and on all levels). ..."

 Robilar and Mordenkeinen may have been Greyhawk PCs, but as they also appeared in Arneson's campaign, they should also be considered part of the history of Blackmoor. It would not be inappropriate to use them as NPCS in Blackmoor along with the Wizard of the Woods, the Great Svenny and all those others.

-Havard

Disease in Blackmoor

In the latest entry of the Dungeons and Digressions blog, ze bulette talks about disease in D&D. The article mentions Supplement II Blackmoor as a good resource for information about this phenomenon. Sure enough, on page 52 of Supplement II, the following diseases are detailed:

• Grippe
• Bubonic Plague
• Cholera
• Malaria
• Small Pox
• TB
• Typhoid Fever
• Typhus
• Yellow Fever
• Adv. Leprocy
• Crud
• Spottet Fever

I am not aware of whether disease was a common phenomenon of Blackmoor campaigns. So far I have not seen any accounts from the original players mentioning it, nor does it seem like a particularly heroic element to a story. Still, the rules can come in pretty handy as can be seen in the previously mentioned blog.

Of course, it would be wrong autmonatically linking something to Blackmoor because of its appearance in Supplement II. Beyond Temple of the Frog, many authors contributed to Supplement II. Editor Tim Kask wrote the following on Supplement II:

"TotF was the only part of BM that was Dave’s alone. In fact, if the whole of the book were analyzed, Dave wrote the TotF segment, and I wrote about 65 or 70% of the rest. Gary  [Gygax], Brian [Blume] and Rob [Kuntz], and Terry [Kuntz], too, contributed the rest. Some of the ideas might have been Dave’s, but the execution, expansion and explanation were ours."


 So where does that leave diseases in Blackmoor? I guess that's up to you! :)





-Havard

C&C Society Setting

In a blog entry from the 20th of Novemer this year, James Maliszewski writes that:

"Both Blackmoor and Greyhawk have at least part of their origins in the Domesday Book map of the Castle & Crusade Society of the International Federation of Wargamers. Issue #13 of that periodical included an early version of Blackmoor, well before OD&D was ever published."

The Castle & Crusade Society was a chapter of the International Federation of Wargamers and was formed in 1968 by Gary Gygax. In the First Fantasy Campaign, Arneson writes that he reserved a remote spot on the IFW's Castle & Crusade map of the Great Kingdom. The Great Kingdom is ofcourse the basis of Greyhawk's Great Kingdom and also the Great Kingdom of Blackmoor, which Dave Ritchie turned into the Empire of Thonmia in the DA series and beyond.

What is known about the original C&C World? At the Acaeum, Rob Kuntz describes how he was listed as King of the Great Kingdom. This is reflected in the Blackmoor timeline even today, as it is stated that Blackmoor was founded by King Robert I of Geneva.

Maliszewski further describes how the C&CS World can still be seen in both Greyhawk and Blackmoor:

"Echoes of this reality can be seen in the existence of a northern realm of Blackmoor within the World of Greyhawk and of a "Great Kingdom" in each -- a formerly good and noble realm that fell to evil and despotism and against which several nations rebelled. Likewise, there's also a Duchy of Ten(h) in each setting, whose name, legend has it, derives from its existence in section 10 of the C&C map, which was parceled into "land grants" to be given to C&C members to develop on their own."

The C&CS World map was roughly based on North America. More information about this setting can probably be learned from the Domesday Book, the C&CS Newsletter. Issue #13 has the first known printed information about Blackmoor.

 

An original map of the town of Blackmoor from #13 of the Domesday Book can be viewed here. A revised version of this map appears in the FFC.





Illustrations: Top: Reworked illustration of the Domesday Book Cover by Kevin Mayle. Bottom: Original Domesday Book #13 cover.



-Havard