Timeline Tree of Tabletop Role-Playing Games Pascal Martinolli To cite this version: Pascal Martinolli. Timeline Tree of Tabletop Role-Playing Games. Donjons & Données probantes, Nov 2018, Montréal, Canada. 2019. halshs-02522264 HAL Id: halshs-02522264 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02522264 Submitted on 1 Apr 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial| 4.0 International License TTTTRPG - Timeline Tree of Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Celebrating more than 40 years of innovations in game designs Free Kriegsspiel movement Referee renders decisions Midwest Military Simulation Association past Strategos: A Series of American Games of War (...) [Totten CAL, 1890] 1960 on tactical experience only (not on rules) (1963) Pascal Martinolli (CC-BY-NC-SA) 2016-2019 [1860-1880] github.com/pmartinolli/TTTTRPG v.20200118 Diplomacy [Allan B. Calhamer, 1954-59] 1950 PC centered game-play fostering emergent roleplay Modern War in Miniature 1966 [Michael F Korns, 1966] Braunstein 1967 [David A Wesely, 1967] Hyboria [Tony Bath, 1968-1973?] PC centered play-by-post wargame 1968 Random personality creation Fantasy world building campaign. Long-lasting consequences of PC decisions on the game-world 1969 The Courrier [of NEWA] Strategos ’N’ two-pages set of rules 1970 One figure = One character Simulation & Gaming WARriors vs GAMErs (Perren S) Castle & Crusade Society Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association [David A. Wesely, 1970] [Lewis Pratt, 1970] 1st amateur fantasy wargame system A referee One player = One character [anything can be attempted, incomplete info] Referee designs his own adventure (emerging) Players personify their characters Players design their own characters Chainmail rules for medieval miniatures Midgard (em) Focus on character (with Fantasy supplement) [Hartley Patterson, 1971] 1971 Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor campaign rather than strategy [Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren, 1971] Magic inspired by J Vance 1st commercial fantasy wargame system Spell point magic system (em) Incomplete rules by nature Very abstract rules [(em) Game unfairness in favor of PC] Underground wargame (mines & countermines) Spell lists Saving throws (em) Referees tinker their own system Creatures divided between Law and Chaos Focus on loot through deadly hard dungeon-crawl No concrete win condition Dungeon! prototype Midgard II 1972 =rules Megadungeon is a requirement for play [Megarry D, 1972] [1972] 3 alignments: lawful, chaotic, neutral Hit points sumbolize 1973 Polyhedral dice (d4.d6.d8.d12.d20) =genre Vancian Magic Randomness at character creation Roll-under targer number health, experience & luck D&D 1974 [woodgrain box] =genre XP-for-gold system D&D Suppl.II: Blackmoor White Bear and Red Moon 1975 [reward for succeeding at non-combat challenges] Empire of the Petal Throne Reincarnate & Raise Dead spells Suppl.I: Greyhawk Alarums & Excursions Boot Hill The Strategic Review Owl and Weasel En Garde! Tunnels & Trolls [white box 4th print] The Temple of the Frog [Dragon Pass] [(em)one simple goal for all players] 1st scenario / game adventure Semi-historical Character advancement through levels =genre =genre =genre =genre 1-line note for each room 1st character sheet Basic/ Advanced rules 1st term ’Role-playing game’ =author Saving roll as stunt Both roll, add and compare [play as Chainmail miniature battle with spy missions] (swashbuckling fiction genre) 1st critical hit =genre percentile dice-based =author [’lucky hit’] F’Chelrak’s Tomb Little Wars 1976 (em) Level-up: substitute for victory Metamorphosis Alpha Dave Arneson quits TSR Judges Guild City-State of the Invincible Overlord Suppl.IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes Suppl.V: Swords & Spells Palace of the Vampire Queen Suppl.III: Eldritch Wizardry The Dragon Bunnies & Burrows Knights of the Round Table Monsters! Monsters! Starfaring Wyrm’s Footnotes [The Dungeoneer fanzine,1976] [magazine] Critics, Fumbles 1st gamemaster screen 1st city setting =genre 1st published adventure Basic D&D 1st ’standalone’ adventure 1977 First Fantasy Campaign Tegel Manor Chivalry & Sorcery All the Worlds’ Monsters Monster Manual The Arduin Grimoire 1st D&D module published Psionics sub-game Skill system Detailed martial arts system Non-humanoid roles The Fantasy Trip: Wizard White Dwarf Traveller En Garde! 2nd ed T&T 4th ed PCs are monsters prying on adventurers 1st SF RPG Superhero ’44 Professional Wrestling Flash Gordon & the Warriors of Mongo Space Patrol (Star Patrol) Space Quest [’Judge’s shield’] with sandbox-style play [and still playable] [Holmes ed] ’Monster zoo’ dungeon =genre Hit location Alternate D&D game terms Concentration & Magick Levels, 2 axis alignment: lawful-neutral-chaotic; Starship design and combat Mini-game for character creation (who could even die) Outdoor adventures Realistic and complex simulation Long character generation Christian-like values alignement scale 1st term ’Game master’ encourages players to own the rules, to tinker, to playtest Unified resolution system (2d6 vs TN) XP for skill use and training Material and social rewards [to avoid copyright] Personal Magick Factor good-neutral-evil as distinct game system Frontloaded progression Rules for daily life aside from adventures Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1978 Gamma World Tomb of Horror G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief Welcome to Skull Tower RuneQuest The Fantasy Trip: Melee Superhero 2044 Star Trek: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier Starships & Spacemen Legacy (Player Handbook) Guilds and secret societies of magicians =author =genre =genre Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Save or die 1979 Caverns of Thracia Lawsuit Arneson vs. TSR & Gygax Bushido Arms Law [1980] Urge to follow strict rules Armor class as bonus/malus to attacker Resurrection spell C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan 1st location keyed illustrations Generous descriptions for every location Secret level 1st D&D module produced by TSR The Runes of Doom PCs can be monsters Spell points Every character can do magic Cults of Prax Unified resolution for fight and skills (d100 under %) Hit points strictly for health Hex based combat T&T 5th ed Villains and Vigilantes Infinity (Dungeon Master’s Guide) [Rocks fall, everyone dies] Fantasy Trip : Jeux & Stratégie =author Casus Belli 1980 Dark Tower The Iron Wind Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits Honor system The World of Greyhawk Rolemaster 1st boxed text descriptions for the DM to read Very detailed fantasy world Rich and diversified belief systems Basic Role-Playing RuneQuest 2nd Dragon In the Labyrinth Twilight’s Peak Beasts, Men & Gods Space Opera Top Secret Dallas: The Television Role-Playing Game [fr] [fr] + Adv. Melee + Adv. Wizard Appendix N GM has have every right to overrule the dice at any time 3 saving throws (speed, will, health) 1st investigation adventure No character generation rules Specializing clerics relative to their patron deity Death mainly by critical damages (not HP loss) Spell lists Open-ending roll for PC and NPC Charts & tables for everything Generic resolution system =genre 1st point-build characters =author Forture/Fame points spent by GM to influence success Dual rating score for abilities (active and defensive) Luck can reverse a previous contest No character advancement rules 1st licensed RPG where the PCs chase clues (PCs are the TV characters) Universal method-of-avoidance GM is the Boss, he has the final decision saving throws Anything can happen Social/psychological traits & negative flaws in point-build characters =genre =rules Travel to the planes Basic D&D 1981 RPGA X1 Isle of Dread Castle Amber Mystara Call of Cthulhu Stormbringer =author Champions Grimtooth’s Traps Thieves’ World Aftermath! Universe Wild West Top Secret 2nd [Moldvay, B/X ed] =rules Caller (one player telling plans Donjons et Dragons Five colors of magic Worlds of Wonder: =rules Drakar och Demoner ’Hunted’ flaw: PC tell the nature/frequency of a villain 1982 and actions of the other Back to 1 axis alignment [aka ’Maraninchi ed’] Hex crawl N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God Dragonlance Insanity rule (SAN) Bunnies & Burrows 2nd Bonus for ’Surprise maneuver’ (cool description) Psychological Limitations option Champions 2nd Borderlands campaign fully compatible with 9 RPG systems Golden Heroes (amateur) Starfleet Voyages Star Trek: The RPG Star Frontier =rules Black Lotus Magic World, Superworld, Future World [sw] , GM choose appearance and play him players to the DM) [fr] Lovecraftian cosmic horror 1st TSR event-based Module ’contains a story’ Hex crawl sand box, Pre-gen characters with complex Hârn Enterprise: RPG in Star Trek Légendes Runes 1983 Gamma World 2nd Empire of the Petal Throne (2nd) Basic D&D [Mentzer ed] I6: Ravenloft ?? -> Magic: The Gathering Chivalry & Sorcery 2nd ed Call of Cthulhu 2nd ed. Character negative advancement Superworld Generic core rules with specific genre modular rules Other Suns Powers & Perils Vassal and lord relationships defined Palladium Fantasy RPG Privateers & Gentlemen Albedo James Bond 007 [/investigation] module