The Icewind Dale Trilogy -The Crystal shard

What's the ad for?
Forgotten Realms-The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore
Year
1988

Spotted on the back cover of...

The Scoop

 The Crystal Shard was the first part of the The Icewind Dale Trilogy written by R.A. Salvatore. Another Forgotten Realms advert that seemed to dominate the back covers of many a comic in the late eighties. See another here.

Forgotten Realms - Black Wizards

What's the ad for?
Forgotten Realms-Black Wizards by Douglas Niles
Year
1988

Spotted on the back of...

The Scoop

The Moonshae trilogy was the first series of books set in the Forgotten Realms. The trilogy was written by Douglas Niles. Black Wizards was the second book in the trilogy. I have never read these books, or much fantasy for that matter but I do remember these ads taking up the back page of many a comic in the late eighties.

Web of Gold

What's the ad for?
Web of Gold, the board game

Year
1990

Spotted in

The Scoop

Web of Gold was released by TSR in 1987. It looks like it was a simple pick up and deliver game. Game components look cool but game play is reportedly lame...

Image courtesy of boardgamegeek.com

Not knowing why- but programed to purchase...

What's the ad for?
  Star Frontiers RPG
Year
1983

Spotted in

 

 

The Scoop

Star Frontiers was made by TSR, the same company that brought the world Dungeons and Dragons. However this early foray into Sci-fi role playing games had some major differences when compared to D&D. For starters there was no leveling up of characters. You were given a set amount of health but you could buy skill points with the experience points gained. The game system also ran on a percentile system. A player would role two ten sided dice, 2d10 for those in the know. The role would result in a number from 1-100.

Similar look to the D&D boxes. Image by Dave Bernazzan. 

Another Dungeons and Dragons advert

What's the ad for?
Dungeons and Dragons
Year
1982

Spotted in

The New Dungeon! the board game

What's the ad for?

The New Dungeon!

Year

1989

Spotted in

The Scoop

Here is two ads for the price of one. I thought I would group these two ads together since the are for the same game. The New Dungeon!  A simplified version of Dungeons and Dragons, this was a revised version of the 1975 game, wait for it...Dungeon.

AD&D Player's handbook

What's the ad for?
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Player handbook
Year
1989

Spotted in

D&D Immortal Rules

What's the ad for?
Dungeons and Dragons Set 5: Immortal Rules
Year
1986

Spotted in

The Scoop

I'm not a role play gamer. I dabbled a bit in my youth but never really got into it. However this ad along with the one for the Basic Rules set really appealed to me. It just looked really cool. I wish I did play D&D, I want to be part of the club. Now in my mid thirties I sometimes contemplate picking up the basic rule set and getting together with my friend Trevor, whom I've known since grade three, and try cranking out a campaign. Then again Trevor has two kids and we are both fairly busy. Plus I have a copy of Descent with the Road to Legend expansion. I think I'll just stick with that. Maybe I'll have to wait until I have teenage children of my own to play with.

D&D Basic Rules- The Red Box

What's the ad for?

Dungeons and Dragons Set #1: Basic Set

Year

1989

Spotted in

The scoop

 I'm not a role player, at least not much of one. I did however try and get into it when I was a kid. My friends and I started out playing a lesser know RPG called Boot Hill. It must have been the theme that attracted us, I don't really know how we stumbled on to it. From there we created our own world and system based on Roman gladiators. You have to take into account that we were probably around 12 years old at the time. Then I saw the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set at my local comic book shop. We had a lot of fun with the system although thinking back we probably played all those games so wrong, but hey it was all fun. They recently re-released this box although I've heard it's not a straight reprint.

Top Secret/ S.I. roleplaying game

What's the ad for?

Top Secret/S.I. RPG game
Year
1988

Spotted in

The scoop
A Role-playing game from TSR. This one is about the world of espionage.  

Endless Quest

What's the ad for?

Endless Quest books
Year
1983

Spotted in

The Scoop

This was TSR's version of the Choose you own adventure (CYOA) books, based on Dungeons and Dragons. The Endless Quest books were longer and more involved then the CYOA series but nonetheless the same principal. As you read the story you turn to different pages based on what you choose the character to do. Several endings are always possible, some leading to your death. I used to love these books as a kid. The Vertigo comic series Unwritten featured a CYOA type story in issue 17. It would be cool if more comics featured this.