''Beastmaker Mountain'' is an adventure for
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, ...
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
s published by
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games was an American publisher of board game, board, card game, card, and roleplaying games that also licensed German-style board game, Euro-style board games to publish them in English. The company licensed worldwide English-language pub ...
in 1982.
Plot summary
''Beastmaker Mountain'' is a scenario in which the
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), 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 tha ...
s investigate the abandoned villa of the wizard Orlow the Beastmaker and the caverns beneath.
The adventure can be played as a single game or as part of an existing campaign.
The
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), 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 tha ...
s start in a partially deserted village, where they find out that Beastmaker Mountain is the former home of a wizard who specialized in creating unique creatures.
When the magic-user disappeared, his wife cursed the mountain to draw evil creatures to it and left to find him.
''
Tower of Magicks'' is the sequel.
The adventure is suitable for use with ''
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 ...
'', ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' and ''
Tunnels & Trolls
''Tunnels & Trolls'' (abbreviated ''T&T'') is a fantasy role-playing game designed by Ken St. Andre and first published in 1975 by Flying Buffalo. The second modern role-playing game published, it was written by Ken St. Andre to be a more access ...
''.
Publication history
''Beastmaker Mountain'' was written by
William Fawcett William or Bill Fawcett or ''variation'', may refer to:
People
* William Fawcett (actor) (1894–1974), American actor who was awarded the ''Légion d'honneur''
* William Fawcett (author) (1902–1941), English journalist and writer on horses, hun ...
, and was published by
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games was an American publisher of board game, board, card game, card, and roleplaying games that also licensed German-style board game, Euro-style board games to publish them in English. The company licensed worldwide English-language pub ...
in 1982 as a 32-page book with an outer folder and a cover sheet.
When
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games was an American publisher of board game, board, card game, card, and roleplaying games that also licensed German-style board game, Euro-style board games to publish them in English. The company licensed worldwide English-language pub ...
got into the RPG field, the company began its ''
Role Aids
''Role Aids'' is a line of role-playing game supplements published by Mayfair Games starting in 1982 intended for use with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''.
Publication history
As a veteran role-playing gamer, Bill Fawcett (writer), Bill Fawcett de ...
'' game line by publishing ''Beastmaker Mountain'' (1982).
Reception
Kelly Grimes and
Aaron Allston
Aaron Dale Allston (December 8, 1960 – February 27, 2014) was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably ''Star Wars'' novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, sev ...
reviewed ''Beastmaker Mountain'' in ''
The Space Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' #58. They described it as "a hero's adventure" but noted that it was not "a
hack-'n-slash adventure of mismatches monsters, secret doors, and treasure strewn willy-nilly about a dungeon; ''Beastmaker Mountain'' was constructed with both sense and logic. An extensive amount of work has gone to detail. Monsters and treasures are placed logically and in the context of the area's rationale."
They added: "The adventure has few flaws. There are occasional outbreaks of silliness
..but all these do is alter the tone of the adventure somewhat and can be worked around."
Grimes and Allston concluded the review by saying: "All in all, the adventure is of good quality and excellent playability. It makes for a challenge and an enjoyable time".
/ref>
References
{{reflist
Fantasy role-playing game adventures
Role Aids
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1982