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Dire Documents
''Dire Documents'', subtitled "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom", is a supplement published by Chaosium in 1993 for the horror role-playing game '' Call of Cthulhu''. Contents Chaosium first published the Lovecraftian horror role-playing game ''Call of Cthulhu'' in 1981, and subsequently produced a number of editions, including the 5th edition in 1992. The following year, Chaosium produced two supplemental products for use with the 5th edition under the subtitle "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom": '' Investigator Sheets'', a set of blank character sheets; and ''Dire Documents'', a pack of nine blank two-color forms, including: * a certificate from the mayor for Meritorious Service * an in-patient admission form for Arkham Sanitorium * several letterheads of various firms, including an import-export company, an exotic-sounding society, Miskatonic University, the chief of staff of Arkham Sanitorium, and a legal firm * a blank invitation to a formal reception * a tongue-in-cheek award certi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaosium
Chaosium Inc. is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford in 1975. Chaosium's major titles include ''Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game), Call of Cthulhu'', based on the horror fiction stories of H. P. Lovecraft'', RuneQuest Glorantha'', ''Pendragon (role-playing game), Pendragon'', based on Thomas Mallory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', and ''7th Sea (role-playing game), 7th Sea'', "swashbuckling and sorcery" set in a fantasy 17th century Europe. Many of Chaosium’s product lines are based upon literary sources. While Stafford himself has been described as "one of the most decorated game designers of all time" and "the grand shaman of gaming", multiple other notable game designers have written for Chaosium. These include David Conyers, Matthew Costello, Larry DiTillio, Paul Fricker (game designer), Paul Fricker, David A. Hargrave, Rob Heinsoo, Keith Herber, Jennell Jaquays, Katharine Kerr, Reiner Knizia, Charlie Krank, Robin Laws, Penelope Love, Mark Morri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basic Role-Playing
''Basic Role-Playing'' (''BRP'') is a tabletop role-playing game which originated in the ''RuneQuest'' fantasy role-playing game. Chaosium released the ''BRP'' standalone booklet in 1980 in the boxed set release of the second edition of ''RuneQuest''. Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis are credited as the authors. Chaosium used the percentile skill-based system as the basis for most of their games, including '' Call of Cthulhu'', ''Stormbringer'', and '' Elfquest''. History The core rules were originally written by Steve Perrin as part of his game ''RuneQuest''. It was Greg Stafford's idea to simplify the rules (eliminating such things as Strike Ranks and Hit Locations) and issue them in a 16-page booklet called ''Basic Role-Playing''. Over the years several others, including Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis, and Steve Henderson, contributed to the system. The ''BRP'' was notable for being the first role-playing game system to introduce a full skill system to characters regardless of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horror Fiction
Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defined the horror story as "a piece of fiction in prose of variable length... which shocks, or even frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a feeling of repulsion or loathing". Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader. Often the central menace of a work of horror fiction can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger fears of a society. Prevalent elements of the genre include ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, the Devil, witches, monsters, extraterrestrials, dystopian and post-apocalyptic worlds, serial killers, cannibalism, cults, dark magic, satanism, the macabre, gore and torture. History Before 1000 The horror genre has ancient origins, with roots in folk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Call Of Cthulhu (role-playing Game)
''Call of Cthulhu'' is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu, story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos. The game, often abbreviated as ''CoC'', is published by Chaosium; it was first released in 1981 and is in its seventh edition, with licensed foreign language editions available as well. Its game system is based on Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing (BRP) with additions for the horror genre. These include special rules for sanity and luck. Gameplay Setting ''Call of Cthulhu'' is set in a Dark fantasy, darker version of our world based on H. P. Lovecraft's observation (from his essay, "Supernatural Horror in Literature") that "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." The original edition, first published in 1981, uses Basic Role-Playing as its basis and is set in the 1920s, the setting of many of Lovecraft's stories. The ''Cthulhu by Gaslight'' supplement bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Call Of Cthulhu Investigator Sheets
''Investigator Sheets'', subtitled "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom", is a supplemental product published by Chaosium in 1993 for the horror role-playing game '' Call of Cthulhu''. Contents Chaosium first published the Lovecraftian horror role-playing game ''Call of Cthulhu'' in 1981, and subsequently produced a number of editions, including the 5th edition in 1992. The following year, Chaosium produced two supplemental products for use with the 5th edition under the subtitle "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom": a package of various blank certificates called ''Dire Documents''; and ''Investigator Sheets'', a set of character sheets for the three standard eras used in the game: the 1890s, 1920s, and 1990s. Reception In the October 1993 edition of '' Dragon'' (#198), Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Character Sheet
A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both traditional and action role-playing games. Almost all role-playing games make use of character sheets in some fashion; even "rules-light" systems and freeform role-playing games record character details in some manner. The role-playing video game equivalent is known as a status screen. Some non-role-playing games, such as some board games and party games, also use records that could be compared to character sheets. History The first role-playing game published, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974), did not include a character sheet. The first one ever published was in the ''Haven Herald'' fanzine of Stephen Tihor published on May 3, 1975. One month after, another character sheet was released in the APA magazine ''Alarums and Excursions''. Sinc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miskatonic University
Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in Arkham, a fictional town in Essex County, Massachusetts. It is named after the Miskatonic River (also fictional). After first appearing in H. P. Lovecraft's 1922 story "Herbert West–Reanimator", the school appeared in numerous Cthulhu Mythos stories by Lovecraft and other writers. The story " The Dunwich Horror" implies that Miskatonic University is a highly prestigious university, on par with Harvard University, and that Harvard and Miskatonic are the two most popular schools for the children of the Massachusetts "Old Gentry". The university also appears in role-playing games and board games based on the mythos. Origin Lovecraft concocted the word ''Miskatonic'' from a mixture of root words from the Algonquian languages. Place-names based on the Algonquian languages are common throughout New England. Anthony Pearsall believes that Lovecraft based the name on the Housatonic River which extends from the Long Island Soun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Player Character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a gamemaster refereeing tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling the character. Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. Some games, such as multiplayer online battle arena, hero shooter, and fighting games, offer a group of player characters for the player to choose from, allowing the player to control one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the characters may have distinctive abilities and differing st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are more common in co-operative games in which players work together than in competitive games in which players oppose each other. The act performed by a gamemaster is sometimes referred to as "Gamemastering" or simply "GM-ing". The role of a gamemaster in a traditional table-top role-playing game (pencil-and-paper role-playing game) is to weave the other participants' player-character stories together, control the non-player aspects of the game, create environments in which the players can interact, and solve any player disputes. The basic role of the gamemaster is the same in almost all traditional role-playing games, although differing rule sets make the specific duties of the gamemaster unique to that system. The role of a gamemaster in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragon (magazine)
''Dragon'' is one of the two official magazines for source material for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game and associated products, along with '' Dungeon''. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, ''The Strategic Review''. The final printed issue was #359 in September 2007. Shortly after the last print issue shipped in mid-August 2007, Wizards of the Coast (part of Hasbro, Inc.), the publication's current copyright holder, relaunched ''Dragon'' as an online magazine, continuing on the numbering of the print edition. The last published issue was No. 430 in December 2013. A digital publication called ''Dragon+'', which replaces the ''Dragon'' magazine, launched in 2015. It is created by Dialect in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, and its numbering system for issues started at No. 1. History TSR In 1975, TSR, Inc. began publishing ''The Strategic Review''. At the time, roleplaying g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rick Swan
Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Press. He was a regular columnist for InQuest Gamer. Publications *"Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance Appendix", 1989 *"Monstrous Compendium: Kara-Tur Appendix", 1990 *"The Complete Wizard's Handbook", 1990 *"Marvel Super Heroes The Uncanny X-MEN Adventure Book", 1990 *"The Complete Ranger's Handbook", 1993 *"The Complete Paladin's Handbook", 1994 *"The Complete Barbarian's Handbook", 1995 *"The Complete Book of Villains", 1994 *"In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil", 1995 (with Wolfgang Baur) *" The Great Glacier", 1992 *" Nightmare Keep (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons/Forgotten Realms module FA2)", 1990 *"Dragon Magic", 1989 *"The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games", 1990 *"The Heart of the Enemy", 1992 *" Ronin Challenge (Advanced Dungeons and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TSR (company)
TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had been unable to find a publisher for ''D&D'', a new type of game he and Dave Arneson were co-developing, so founded the new company with Kaye to self-publish their products. Needing financing to bring their new game to market, Gygax and Kaye brought in Brian Blume in December as an equal partner. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' is generally considered the first tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), and established the genre. When Kaye died suddenly in 1975, the Tactical Studies Rules partnership restructured into TSR Hobbies, Inc. and accepted investment from Blume's father Melvin. With the popular ''D&D'' as its main product, TSR Hobbies became a major force in the games industry by the late 1970s. Melvin Blume eventually transferred his shares to h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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