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Sample file Sample file A compilation of the B/X fanzine’s first ten issues. Created and printed between June, 2017 and September, 2019, Back to BasiX is a quarterly fanzine celebrating the B/X version of the world's most popular tabletop role-playing game. Presented in a US Trade hardcover format for the first time ever, this compilation brings together all 10 issues into one volume, complete with every piece of original gaming content, product review, and industry leg- end interview from the original print run! Best of all, these 216 pages are housed within a brand new color cover, created by the fanzine’s original cover artist, Matthew Ray. Printed August, 2021—First Printing, 700 copies. Issue Pages Interview Release Date 1 10 Merle Rasmussen June, 2017 2 14 Frank Mentzer September, 2017 3 14 David Cook December, 2017 4 18 Diesel March, 2018 5 18 Stephen Marsh June, 2018 6 22 Mike Carr September, 2018 7 22 Erol Otus December, 2018 8 22 Jennell Jaquays March, 2019 9 30 Darlene June, 2019 10 34 Douglas Niles September, 2019 Sample file B2BX10C MSRP: $30.00 i 1 Free First Issue! #1 — June 2017 Sample file A new quarterly Fanzine dedicated to a simpler time of RPGs— covering the Basic and Expert editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Simpler Times — A Letter from the Fanzine Creator Back to BasiX has been brewing in Additionally, we may journey into 1 my busy mind for some time, trying later extensions of the B/X system; desperately to escape. Other work we may touch upon rules or prod- has always taken precedence, espe- ucts in the “CMI” portion of the cially ideas that help build a finan- BECMI universe to break up the cial platform for fun and low-cost content once in a while. Heck, we products like a fanzine! With a may even write an adventure or two couple of successful Kickstarters in the Masters or Immortals systems! completed, I have enough extra Our primary focus however, will be cash to put out a free ‘zine. Well, to produce a small fanzine dedicated at least free for the first issue. to the early B/X work. We’ll al- This fanzine will be dedicated to all ways have at least one adventure, a things B/X; the Holmes, Moldvay product spotlight or review, a new and Mentzer work will all be consid- monster and a few unique magical ered when developing content, writ- items in every issue. In upcoming ing articles, and interviewing gamers. issues, we’ll interview more legends I personally love the Moldvay edition of the industry, add a Wanted/For the best, but this series will look at Sale section, and try to include all editorial versions as equally as more artwork for you to enjoy. possible. To most, there is little Thanks for picking up this premiere difference between the Basic books, issue of Back to BasiX. I hope at least in spirit and general game you enjoy it and find it useful! play. However, rule differences or mechanics may get spotlighted occa- — Thom Wilson sionally as a source for interesting material. — Issue #1 Details — Fanzine Sections — V1 No 1 Content Page Issue #1 — June 2017 Letter from the Creator 1 Printed: 2017 (3rd print) Publishing News 2 Created by: Thom Wilson Product Spotlight 2 Articles by: Thom Wilson Cover Illustration: Matt Ray Interview—M. Rasmussen 3 Logo: Isa de Mendonca Silva Mythicology 4 Comic: Travis Hanson The Magic Shop 4 SampleDungeon Crawl 5 Upcoming Issues: file Spellbound 7 #2 — September, 2017 An Ongoing Adventure... 8 #3 — December, 2017 Back to BasiX Issue #2 submission deadline for Ads, Wanted and For 1 Sale posts is August 13th, 2017. Publishing News 1 As you know, there aren’t a lot of Labyrinth Lord by Goblinoid Games. new products getting produced for Published in 2007 and 2009, Laby- the B/X system. That being said, rinth Lord is a fairly consistent retro each quarter we’ll explore all the -clone of the Moldvay work, with channels where new products may expanded rules up to 20th level. materialize. This includes crowd Goblinoid Games has dozens of funding sites, indie publishers, and products to support the B/X system. even convention publishing. We’ll B/X Companion by Running Beagle try to cover every angle of the Games. The B/X Companion ex- industry, ferreting out new material pands on the Basic and Experts for your B/X campaigns! sets, providing rules for levels up to In this first issue, we’ll highlight 36th, with new spells, monsters, some of the known B/X products magical items, and guidelines for that are relatively new, at least re- mass warfare. Hard to find in leased after the original B/X prod- print but for sale as a PDF on ucts of the 80’s. RPGNow. Product Spotlight I’ve already “hinted” at my love for The cover illustration by Erol Otus the Moldvay Basic Rulebook, so it is one of the most inspirational seems fitting to review that product early images of role-playing. That in the first issue of Back to BasiX. single illustration tells a story of For me, it is the benchmark for all adventure; treasure, heroes and a rulebooks; it is concise, has a clean terrible dragon looming in the back- layout style, and is full of inspira- ground made all my friends and I tion. want to pick up dice and roll up a character. The Moldvay Basic Rulebook wasn’t the first guide; Holmes blue book, Moldvay’s editorial presence mani- and Gygax and Arneson’s earlier fests in the layout of the book. work were the foundations of begin- Each section follows a carefully con- ning rule systems. But in the initial structed path, allowing first time heyday of mass published RPG ma- players and dungeon masters the terial, the Moldvay edited Basic ease of navigation from character Rulebook was the first simplified creation through combat resolution. rulebook to reach the masses. This book has set the benchmark for other guidelines and materials, I can remember being given my providing a roadmap on how to copy of the red rulebook (along publish an instructional RPG. with the incomplete fragments of a tatteredSample Otus box) back in 1981. Basic Rulebook , Eighthfile (1981) The rules were laid out so simply through Eleventh (1982) printings, that even my young brain could with Erol Otus cover illustration fully comprehend how the game (ISBN 0-935696-48-2, #2014). was played. It was 64 pages of greatness. 2 Interview with a Legendary Gamer — Merle Rasmussen I’ll try to interview one author, illus- (module) in eight weeks. Now finish 1 trator, designer or editor who had a this one in seven." The Savage role and/or impact on the B/X Coast (X9) was published in 1985. systems each issue. In the first issue, I was able to get Merle Ras- [T] Which of the Basic and Expert mussen to answer a few of my adventures you wrote is your favor- questions... ite and why? [Thom] Everyone knows you were [M] I was given the title Ghost of brought into TSR for your Top Lion Castle (BSOLO). TSR had Secret RPG work, but why were promised a product with this title you asked to write Basic and Expert and it was listed in a book retailer's D&D adventures? catalog before I wrote it. I enjoyed drawing a castle shaped like the [Merle] I was not impressed by the King of Beasts surrounded by a fantasy genre, but I was inspired by wall. Glowing arrows shot out be- role playing. Allen Hammack hired tween its claws, molten lead me over the telephone. I was 25 in dropped from its nostrils, and huge June of 1982. The senior designers stones fell from the roof of its had staked out the more glamorous mouth. I enjoyed the challenge of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons® writing the programmed text’s deci- and TSR needed someone to write sion matrix. Basic Dungeons & Dragons® mod- ules. AD&D® sold better than D&D®. D&D® sold better that [T] What are you working on TOP SECRET®. these days? [M] If you look up http:// topsecretnwo.com you will find a [T] You authored BSOLO (Ghost of digital clock counting down until the Lion Castle), XSOLO (Lathan's Gold) launch of the TOP SECRET: NEW and X6 Quagmire!), all released in WORLD ORDERTM to occur on 1984. Do you remember when June 19, 2017. Together with my you started each of them and how original editor Allen Hammack, and long it took to get them to print? a design team including James Car- [M] I started at TSR, Inc. in June pio, Jayson Elliot, Chad Parish, and 1982 and was downsized 22 A.J. Davenport, we have brought months later in April 1984. My the classic game into the 21st centu- resume lists modules in this order: ry, with a completely new rule sys- Quagmire! (X6), Lathan's Gold tem for fast action, easy playability, (XSOLO), and Ghost of Lion Castle and gritty realism. TOP SECRET: (BSOLO). Quagmire! (X6) took over NEW WORLD ORDERTM is a trade- Samplea year to produce and saw print mark of TSR, Inc.file after April 1984. I remember being told, "You finished writing that one 3 Mythicology 1 In the first issue of Back to BasiX, we feature a new monster straight Armor Class: 6 from our Dungeon Crawl. Future Hit Dice: 1* Move: 120’ (40’) issues will also feature one or more Attacks: See below new monsters for your B/X adven- Damage: 1-4 tures! No.