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Xanathar
The beholder is a fictional monster in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It is depicted as a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and many smaller eyestalks on top with powerful magical abilities. The beholder is among the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' monsters that have appeared in every edition of the game since 1975. Beholders are one of the few classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters that Wizards of the Coast claims as Product Identity and as such was not released under its Open Game License. Beholders have been used on the cover of different ''Dungeons & Dragons'' handbooks, including the fifth edition ''Monster Manual''. Publication history Unlike many other ''Dungeons & Dragons'' monsters, the beholder is an original creation for ''D&D'', as it is not based on a creature from mythology or other fiction. Rob Kuntz's brother Terry Kuntz created the ''Beholder'', and Gary Gygax detailed it for publication. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Several different editions of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the game. However, many ''D&D'' fans continue to play older versions of the game and some third-party companies continue to publish materials compatible with these older editions. After the original edition of ''D&D'' was introduced in 1974, the game was split into two branches in 1977: the rules-light system of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and the more complex, rules-heavy system of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D''). The standard game was eventually expanded into a series of five box sets by the mid-1980s before being compiled and slightly revised in 1991 as the '' Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia''. Meanwhile, the 2nd edition of ''AD&D'' was published in 1989. In 2000 the two-branch split was ended when a new version was designated the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monster Manual
The ''Monster Manual'' (''MM'') is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The ''Monster Manual'' was the first hardcover ''D&D'' book and includes monsters derived from mythology and folklore, as well as creatures created specifically for ''D&D''. Creature descriptions include game-specific statistics (such as the monster's level or number of hit dice), a brief description of its habits and habitats, and typically an image of the creature. Along with the '' Player's Handbook'' and '' Dungeon Master's Guide'', the ''Monster Manual'' is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the ''D&D'' game. As such, new editions of the ''Monster Manual'' have been released for each edition of ''D&D''. Due to the level of detail and illustration included in the 1977 release, the book was cited as a pivotal example of a new style of wargame books. Future editions would draw on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Wham
Tom Wham (born 1944) is a designer of board games who has also produced artwork, including that for his own games. Career Early life and Guidon Games Born in Chester, Illinois, Wham worked a variety of odd jobs during his early adult life. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he worked for the Guidon Games hobby shop in Maine where he got his first game, a variant on a Civil War naval miniatures campaign, published. One of Wham's books was published in the same series of "Wargaming with Miniatures" books from Guidon Games that began in 1971 with ''Chainmail''. In 1972, Wham got a job with Don Lowry at Guidon Games, in the shipping/layout department of ''Campaign'' magazine; there, he co-authored a set of Civil War naval miniature rules, ''Ironclad''. Afterwards he became a prison guard in his hometown, then held an office job in Denver. TSR In May 1977 he began working for TSR, Inc. at their Lake Geneva, Wisconsin headquarters as a general office worker, the company's 13th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The ''Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia'' is a 1991 book published by TSR, Inc., as a continuation of the basic edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''. Its product designation was TSR 1071. Contents The ''Rules Cyclopedia'' contained all the major rules, compiled and revised from the '' Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules'', as well as the '' Expert Rules'', '' Companion Rules'', and '' Master Rules'' boxed sets. However, the book's introduction on page 5 states that it is "intended to be a reference volume for those who already play the ''D&D'' game ... this book is aimed at the experienced user ... tlacks many of the examples and patient explanation you'll find in the ''D&D'' box sets". The same year, a revised introductory ''Dungeons & Dragons'' set was released to introduce new players to the game. This was the second revision to the ''D&D'' rules. These guidelines allow a player to develop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David "Zeb" Cook
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer, best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook designed several games, wrote the '' Expert Set'' for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', worked as lead designer of the second edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', and invented the Planescape setting for ''AD&D''. He is a member of the Origins Hall of Fame. Early life Cook was born in East Lansing, Michigan, and grew up on a farm in Iowa. His father was a farmer and college professor. In junior high school, Cook played wargames such as Avalon Hill's ''Blitzkrieg'' and ''Afrika Korps'': "I was primarily a wargamer, but there wasn't any role-playing available then." In college, he was introduced to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game through the University of Iowa gaming club. Cook earned his B.A. in English (with a Theater minor) in 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen, with whom he had one son, Ian. Cook became a high school t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monstrous Compendium
The ''Monstrous Compendium'' is a series of accessories for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game released from 1989 to 1998. The title was then used for a series of 5th Edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' supplements released on D&D Beyond. Volumes MC1 ''Monstrous Compendium, Volume One'' was published by TSR in 1989. It was written by the TSR staff, with a cover by Jeff Easley, and interior illustrations by Jim Holloway, and came boxed with 144 loose-leaf pages and eight color cardstock dividers (each with a color painting on it) in a three-ring binder. This supplement was presented as the base monster supplement intended to containing all the enemies required for most campaigns using 2nd edition ''AD&D'' rules. Each monster has both a description and an illustration on a page separate from the other monsters, allowing for easy removal and retention of alphabetical order when other monsters are added to it. MC2 ''Monstrous Compendium, Volume Two'' was publi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AD&D Adventures In Space
''Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space'' is a 1989 boxed set accessory for the ''Spelljammer'' campaign setting, part of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (AD&D) fantasy role-playing game. It supplies rules and materials for playing ''AD&D'' in space. The set was well received by critics and fans. Contents The ''Spelljammer'' boxed set describes rules for conducting ''AD&D'' campaigns in fantasy space. The "Lorebook of the Void" booklet details space travel, commonly known types of ships, and races and creatures found in space. The "Concordance of Arcane Space" details how to conduct fantasy combat in space, and contains rules for spaceships and travel, and variations on existing game rules for playing in space. The set includes cardstock sheets which contain both descriptions and deck plans for different kinds ships, and counters to be used for simulating ship-to-ship combat. The set's large color maps show two cities that float in space, a grid for space combat, and a map tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Campaign Setting
A campaign setting is a setting for a tabletop role-playing game or wargame campaign. Most campaign settings are fictional worlds; however, some are historical or contemporary real-world locations. A '' campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. A campaign setting is typically designed for a specific game (such as the ''Forgotten Realms'' setting for ''Dungeons & Dragons'') or a specific genre of game (such as historical fantasy or science fiction), though some come from existing media (such as movies, shows, novels, or comic books). There are numerous campaign settings available for purchase both in print and online. In addition, many game masters create their own, which are often called "homebrew" settings. Examples of major campaign settings include the Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings, World of Darkness, the Star Trek science fiction universe, and the Avatar: The Last Airb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spelljammer
''Spelljammer'' is a campaign setting originally published for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ( 2nd edition) role-playing game, which features a fantastic (as opposed to scientific) outer space environment. Subsequent editions have included ''Spelljammer'' content; a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition setting update was released on August 16, 2022. ''Spelljammer'' introduced into the ''AD&D'' universe a comprehensive system of fantasy astrophysics, including the Ptolemaic concept of crystal celestial spheres. Crystal spheres may contain multiple worlds and are navigable using ships equipped with "spelljamming helms". Ships powered by spelljamming helms are capable of flying into not only the sky but into space. With their own fields of gravity and atmosphere, the ships have open decks and tend not to resemble the spaceships of science fiction, but instead look more like galleons, animals, birds, fish or even more wildly fantastic shapes. The ''Spelljammer'' setting is des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragon (magazine)
''Dragon'' was one of the two official magazines for source material for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game and associated products, along with ''Dungeon (magazine), 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 replaced ''Dragon'' magazine, was launched in 2015. It was created by the advertising agency 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 Strate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger E Moore
Roger E. Moore (born July 11, 1955, in Winchester, Kentucky) is a designer of role-playing games. He had a long-running tenure as editor of ''Dragon'' magazine and was the founding editor of ''Dungeon'' magazine. Early life Moore's family moved around Kentucky for the early part of his childhood and eventually settled down outside of Louisville. Moore attended the University of Kentucky, where he majored in Astronomy before changing his major to Psychology. He married fellow student Georgia Skowlund. Career After he graduated from college he entered the U.S. Army as a mental health counsellor. While in Fort Bragg during the summer of 1977, he first learned about role-playing games. “The place I worked at in West Germany was a combination mental-health clinic/pizza parlor/ham radio shack and library ... It was once a panzer barracks, too. I was quite bored, so I started writing articles for ''Dragon'' Magazine. I gamed heavily and met some other gamers who now write or work fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood (born July 21, 1959) is a Canadian fantasy writer and the creator of the '' Forgotten Realms'' game world. He began writing articles about the Forgotten Realms for ''Dragon'' magazine beginning in 1979, and subsequently sold the rights to the setting to TSR, the creators of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game, in 1986. He has written many Forgotten Realms novels, as well as numerous articles and ''D&D'' game supplement books. Early life and the Forgotten Realms Greenwood grew up in the upscale Toronto suburb of Don Mills. He began writing stories about the Forgotten Realms as a child, starting in the mid-1960s; they were his "dream space for swords and sorcery stories". Greenwood conceived of the Forgotten Realms as one world in a "multiverse" of parallel worlds which includes the Earth. He imagined such worlds as being the source of humanity's myths and legends. Greenwood discovered the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' game in 1975 and soon became a regular play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |