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Character Race
Character race is a descriptor used to describe the various sapient species and beings that make up the setting in modern fantasy and science fiction. In many tabletop role-playing games and video games, players may choose to be one of these creatures when creating their player character (PC) or encounter them as a non-player character (NPC). "People" is to be taken in the broader sense, and may encompass ethnic groups, species, nationality or social groups. Overview Many fantasy stories and worlds refer to their main sapient humanoid creatures as races, rather than species in order to distinguish them from non-sapient creatures. J. R. R. Tolkien popularized the usage of the term in this context in his legendarium (particularly ''The Lord of the Rings''), and the use of races in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing games further spread the name. Character race can refer to a fictitious species from a fictional universe, or a real people, especially in case of a history-b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, which later became fantasy literature, fantasy literature and drama. From the twentieth century onward, it has expanded into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, animation, and video games. The expression ''fantastic literature'' is often used for this genre by Anglophone literary critics. An archaic spelling for the term is ''phantasy''. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror fiction, horror by an absence of scientific or macabre themes, although these can occur in fantasy. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings that reflect the actual Earth, but with some sense of otherness. Characteristics Many works of fantasy use magic (paranorma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tolkien's Legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher summarized in his compilation of '' The Silmarillion'' and documented in his 12-volume series ''The History of Middle-earth''. The legendarium's origins reach back to 1914, when Tolkien began writing poems and story sketches, drawing maps, and inventing languages and names as a private project to create a mythology for England. The earliest story, "The Voyage of Earendel, the Evening Star", is from 1914; he revised and rewrote the legendarium stories for most of his adult life. '' The Hobbit'' (1937), Tolkien's first published novel, was not originally part of the larger mythology but became linked to it. Both ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954 and 1955) are set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, while virtually all of his earlier writing had been set in the fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1979 In Games
__NOTOC__ This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and tabletop role-playing games published in 1979. For video games, see 1979 in video gaming. Games released or invented in 1979 Games awards given in 1979 * Spiel des Jahres: '' Hare and Tortoise'' (first year given) Significant games-related events of 1979 * Task Force Games founded by Allen Eldridge and Stephen Cole. Deaths See also * 1979 in video gaming {{DEFAULTSORT:1979 In Games Games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ... Games by year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bushido (role-playing Game)
''Bushido'' is a Samurai role-playing game set in Feudal Japan, originally designed by Robert N. Charrette and Paul R. Hume and published originally by Tyr Games, then Phoenix Games, and subsequently by Fantasy Games Unlimited. The setting for the game is a land called Nippon, and characters adventure in this heroic, mythic, and fantastic analogue of Japan's past. It is thematically based on Chanbara movies, such as those made by Akira Kurosawa, in which the heroes are modestly superhuman but not extraordinarily so. Overview The ''Bushido'' role-playing game was originally published in 1979 by Tyr Games (which quickly went out of business) but was more widely released in 1980 by Phoenix Games as a boxed set. This edition included a map of Nippon, a tri-fold screen, a character sheet, ''Book I, The Heroes of Nippon'', the Players Guidebook and ''Book II, The Land of Nippon'', the Gamesmaster's Guidebook. All illustrations in the original boxed set are copyright by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TSR, Inc
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 he 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 his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1975 In Games
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up. * January 2 ** The Federal Rules of Evidence are approved by the United States Congress. ** A bomb blast at Samastipur, Bihar, India, fatally wounds Lalit Narayan Mishra, Minister of Railways. * January 5 – Tasman Bridge disaster: The Tasman Bridge in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier , causing a partial collapse resulting in 12 deaths. * January 15 – Alvor Agreement: Portugal announces that it will grant independence to Angola on November 11. * January 20 ** In Hanoi, North Vietnam, the Politburo approves the final military offensive against South Vietnam. ** Work is abandoned on the 1974 Anglo-French Channel Tunnel scheme. * January ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boot Hill (role-playing Game)
''Boot Hill'' is a western-themed role-playing game designed by Brian Blume, Gary Gygax, and Don Kaye (although Kaye unexpectedly died before the game was published), and first published in 1975. ''Boot Hill'' was TSR's third role-playing game, appearing not long after ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D) and '' Empire of the Petal Throne'', and taking its name from " Boot Hill", the popular Wild West term for "cemetery". ''Boot Hill'' was marketed to take advantage of America's love of the western genre. The game did feature some new game mechanics, such as the use of percentile dice, but its focus on gunfighting rather than role-playing, as well as the lethal nature of its combat system, limited its appeal. ''Boot Hill'' was issued in three editions over 15 years, but it never reached the same level of popularity as ''D&D'' and other fantasy-themed role-playing games. Creative origins Soon after TSR was formed by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye in late 1973, they and new business partne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaosium
Chaosium Inc. ( ) is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford (game designer), 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, Rob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 In Games
Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz following his death on December 24. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments. * January 15 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation led by Polish Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa at the Vatican City, Vatican. * January 20 – Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan is First inauguration of Ronald Reagan, sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, ending the Iran hostage crisis. * January 21 – The first DMC DeLorean, DeLorean automobile, a stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, rolls off the production line in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. * January 24 – ... [...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 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 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 oldest and 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 blends the occult and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fictional Universe
A fictional universe, also known as an imagined universe or a constructed universe, is the internally consistent fictional setting used in a narrative or a work of art. This concept is most commonly associated with works of fantasy and science fiction, and can be found in various forms such as novels, comics, films, television shows, video games, and other creative works. In science fiction, a fictional universe may be a remote alien planet or galaxy with little apparent relationship to the real world (as in '' Star Wars''). In fantasy, it may be a greatly fictionalized or invented version of Earth's distant past or future (as in ''The Lord of the Rings''). Fictional continuity In a 1970 article in '' CAPA-alpha'', comics historian Don Markstein defined the fictional ''universe'' as meant to clarify the concept of fictional continuities. According to the criteria he imagined: [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dicing With Dragons
''Dicing with Dragons'' is a book written by Ian Livingstone and published by Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1982 that explains what role-playing games are. Contents ''Dicing with Dragons'' is an introduction to the then-new world of role-playing games. Livingstone explains how role-playing games work, and includes a solo adventure, "Eye of the Dragon", as an example. Livingstone then details the major role-playing systems that dominated the market in 1982: * ''Dungeons & Dragons'' * ''RuneQuest'' * '' Traveller'' * ''Tunnels & Trolls'' He also briefly describes 31 other role-playing games, including ''Boot Hill'', ''Bushido'', '' Call of Cthulhu'', ''Gamma World'', '' Gangbusters'', and ''Top Secret''. There are also chapters on: * Accessories, including summaries of adventures for the role-playing games previously mentioned, and magazines and fanzines specializing in role-playing games * How to paint miniature figures * How to be a gamemaster * Computer systems and computer games th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
