Friend of the Show Jon Peterson, noted author of the RPG industry and all around celebrity joins the Halflings to discuss his most recent work, “Game Wizards: The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons”, by MIT Press. The book discusses the rise of TSR Hobbies in the 1970s until the ousting of Gary Gygax in the mid 1980s from its ranks. We discuss the history of the company, the evolution of Dungeons and Dragons during the period, and most importantly…why you should always save a “Bah!” for the right moment.
No miniatures were harmed in the making of this podcast, but some checking accounts were to purchase them!
Links mentioned in this show:
Game Wizards by Jon Peterson on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Game-Wizards-Dungeons-Dragons-Histories/dp/0262542951
Playing at the World Blog
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/
Game Wizards Gary and Dave 28mm minis
https://mudpuppycomics.com/games/product/game-wizards-gary-and-dave-28mm-minis/
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One Response to “Episode 38: Game Wizards with Jon Peterson”
Great episode!
Have you ever considered uploading these podcasts to YouTube? You might gain a larger audience!
Arneson’s First Fantasy Campaign seems to furnish a great example of how Arneson both (1) had many great ideas for game design and yet (2) had difficulty writing them in a clear and usable manner. I was recently rereading Arneson’s rules for wilderness adventures in the FFC, and the ideas there for generating terrain and encounters are terrific, but difficult to understand and implement! Same goes for his “chance cards” rules, which are a brilliant early example of campaign events, but their presentation leaves something to be desired.