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Old Sep 13, 2005, 10:01 PM // 22:01   #1
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Default Pen & paper RPGs of the 80s

Egad. Time to go down memory lane. Back in the early 80s there was a ton of paper & pen RPGs (Maybe it's still the case... I really don't know). While I liked playing, I also had this habit with just reading some of the manuals for fun. As a result I collected a ton of manuals that I just liked to read. I probably did a little more reading than actual playing.

I don't know how many of these are still around, but here are some titles of manuals I collected back then (off the top of my head) If they're all are still in print this post probably won't raise any eyebrows ...

AD&D - OK Everyone knows these. I still have the first edition AD&D hardcover manuals somewhere.
D&D - I didn't get the originals but the second printing
Arduin Grimoire - AD&Dish but with a wealth of cool additions and classes - was fun to just read because it had so much new material and illustrations (with a small share of nudity and perversity that probably affected the development of my young psyche ... )
RuneQuest - only played a little - never got much into it, though
DragonQuest (by SPI) - I actually kinda liked this one - the fighting system was more evolved than AD&D. But it couldn't really compete with the grande mythos of AD&D.
Chivalry & Sorcery/ Swords and Sorcerers/ Land of the Rising Sun (first print)- what a fantastic read! I had the books and just loved to read them to death - but never played it. Really cool! Almost like an encyclopedia.
Bushido - I vaguely remember this one - I did have the book(s) but I never was very excited about it
Champions - Superhero RPG - could have been executed a little better but it's a tough genre. Played a little.
Superhero 2044 - cute read but underdeveloped. Rich with ideas, though.
Stormbringer - I think this one's still around. Based on Elric books. Nice combat system. I remember it came in a big box which contained just one manual and a pair of d20. In fact, the cover art for that first edition is on someone's avatar on these forums
Top Secret! (by TSR) - kinda sketchy but interesting concept about spies etc. I don't recall if we ever did a scenario
Traveller (sci-fi) - the AD&D of sci-fi RPGs. If I hadn't been doing so much fantasy RPGs I might have gotten into this one more. Didn't stop me from getting the manuals, though.
Space Opera (sci-fi) - a nice competitor to Traveller - had some great weapons and very detailed skill system and a overwhealming amount of detail in learning skills for space travel. i.e. There were bodies of engineering skills that read like a U.C. Berkeley course description manual. We played it a few times but not full blown campaigns
Aftermath! (post-apocalyptic RPG) - gosh, I really liked this one. My friends and I were hooked on Road Warrior and played this one a lot.

There were other notables, I know. But these are ones I actually had.

Last edited by Xue Yi Liang; Sep 13, 2005 at 10:04 PM // 22:04..
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Old Sep 13, 2005, 10:05 PM // 22:05   #2
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I so loved top secret

and did anyone play (Man Myth & Magic) it was a knock off of d&d but was still fun
yes i was a geek when i was younger
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Old Sep 13, 2005, 10:06 PM // 22:06   #3
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OMG I remember MM&M - I loved that one, too!
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Old Sep 13, 2005, 10:10 PM // 22:10   #4
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One time I made a Pen and Paper RPG about The Beatles.
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Old Sep 13, 2005, 10:13 PM // 22:13   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sagius Truthbarron
One time I made a Pen and Paper RPG about The Beatles.
Cool! That's brilliant. lol!

Questions:
What kind of damage does Ringo do?
Are there any stats for the Rolling Stones?
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 12:23 AM // 00:23   #6
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Oh I almost forgot:
Gamma World -another post-apocalyptic game - really nice setting. As with many RPGs this had gaping holes in the rules - but the underlying story and setting left for nice possibilities. Pretty creepy - and took some time before it started to grow on me. But Aftermath! still had better firearms.
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 02:56 AM // 02:56   #7
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Well, it wasn't really that specific. I was browsing some Anime website one time and entered the "Roleplaying Game" section to see what that was about. I saw a thread called "Boss Battles" and it was full of people giving odd and detailed descriptions, I can specifically remember this one about motorcycles or something...

Anyway, it was late at night so I just let my imagination flow freely for no appearent reason >.>
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 02:59 AM // 02:59   #8
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That's ok.
I was only kidding.
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 03:15 AM // 03:15   #9
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Want me to post it?! I just dug it up and I'm restoring it!

Edit: Or would you like me to make a thread for it?!

Last edited by Sagius Truthbarron; Sep 14, 2005 at 03:28 AM // 03:28..
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 10:19 AM // 10:19   #10
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wow, Xue Yi Liang, you had as many as i still have ^^

once i started collecting the starter sets, i couldnt stop ^^

do you remember Greyhawk, befor they revamped it?
Dragonlance and forggoten realms?
what about the olld FASA stuff like thier Dr Who and Star Trek games?

Ravenloft and Shadowrun and Cyberpunk and starwars and call of cthulu?

and the best saterday night frag fest...PARANOIA! ^^
who can forget loosing 5 clones in a row to the all seeing Computer *bow* who was testing stuff on us horrible commie mutant scum? (that was part of the game, btw a paranoid computer rued the world and had a short in its memeory so it thought it was back in the cold war lol...and much hilarity it caused lol)
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 10:43 AM // 10:43   #11
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oh my .. look at the oldies

I was Very young when i gave my first try at D&D
But i m rlly fan of the new D20 product made recently (even if Wizards Suxx ) there are some nice products, still.

(Pls, Wotc, reprint a D20 edition of Planescape and Al-Qadim^^)

I d recommend the D20 Star Wars... wasnt hard to do better than the old D6 system, huh

I am also quite fan of 7th sea, even if it is not from the 80's ^^ i even have no idea when their game system, also in use in Vampire, Werewolf and Mage was released... 90's stuff i d say


(n: Rayea why am i not surprised u r around here ^^ )
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Old Sep 14, 2005, 09:41 PM // 21:41   #12
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while i havent collected any books, here's what i have palyed though:
AD&D 2nd edition
3rd edition (and 3.5 -.-)
GURPS (very good universal game rules)
star wars (yeh they made an p&p rpg)

that'd be it i believe
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Old Sep 26, 2005, 04:08 PM // 16:08   #13
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RIFTS is the best ever IMHO

exalted and hunter the reckoning

I still play all of these (I know I'm a nerd) I played exalted yesterday
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