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@dndtokyo
Dungeons and Dragons Three-Dragon Ante
Inns and taverns are a D&D staple -- a great source for rumors, adventure hooks, and for weary characters to take a little downtime. In light of this, Wizards of the Coast introduced Three-Dragon Ante, a non-collectible card game that could be played on its own or by player characters within a Dungeons & Dragons adventure -- a great mechanic to add flavor and greater immersion into a fantasy world.
Dungeons and Dragons Hellspike Prison 3e
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime! The D&D Hellspike Prison adventure booklet provided Dungeon Masters with challenging battlegrounds and encounters for 9th Level players -- a great accessory for one shots or for the starting point of a greater narrative.
Cover art by Francis Tsai, a fascinating artist who learned to draw with his feet after sadly being diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Tsai won many awards and created art for Dungeons and Dragons, Marvel Comics, and for film and television.
Dragon Magazine #255
Rebecca Guay's artwork often focuses on strong female characters captured in an ethereal, romantic style. Her cover art for Dragon Magazine issue 255 is breathtakingly beautiful, and captures a psionic battle between a fair warrior and a mind flayer.
Besides creating fantasy artwork for Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, Rebecca creates contemporary art exhibited in fine galleries across the US, and has recently published a book. Be sure to visit the Rebecca Guay websites for more examples of her outstanding work:
Fantasy art.
Gallery art.
Dragon Magazine #180
My favorite Dungeons and Dragons artwork tends to tell a story. Dan Frazier's cover art for Dragon Magazine issue 180 does just that. Here we find a party of dwarf adventurers squabbling with a dragon over a treasure chest. I'm no attorney, but I believe the dragon is in the right and I'm rooting for him :)
Spelljammer Boxed Set, AD&D 2e
Jeff Grubb, TSR game designer, recounts that the idea of bringing Dungeons & Dragons to outer space happened during a brainstorming session in a Wisconsin restaurant. Hmmm... I wonder if they served alcohol at that restaurant, because the Spelljammer concept is just crazy/weird, but so much fun :)
The Spelljammer boxed set was released in 1989, and the supplement included all the rules and inspiration necessary to take your D&D campaign boldly where no one had gone before.
The cover art piece, "Adventures in Space," was painted by Jeff Easley.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Tomb of Horrors
Another classic AD&D adventure module by the man himself -- Gary Gygax. Tomb of Horrors is a beast (in the best sense of the word) and challenges players even to this day. Originally released as a tournament module in 1975, Tomb of Horrors is most likely the first TPK (Total Party Kill) adventure for the game we know and love.
The module came with a 20 page "illustration booklet" that Dungeon Masters could share with players to help the party visualize their surroundings. This inclusion was novel at the time, and TSR only did this twice again (The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and Expedition to the Barrier Peaks).
The creepy front cover art by Jeff Dee always reminded me of the Ral Partha Giant Skeleton miniature from back in the day. Back cover by Erol Otus.
Dragon Magazine #39
In my opinion, the 39th issue of Dragon is a classic due to the introduction of the Anti-Paladin. There's something fascinating about a character who falls from grace and turns to the dark side (consider Darth Vader for instance). Lots of great roleplaying possibilities.
Also, Dragon 39 gave us the Groundsquid LOL. I have so many questions...
Cover art by Steven Swenston, a comic book artist who happened to own a comic book store at one point in his life.
AD&D The Secret of Bone Hill
Another outstanding Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module from the early 80s featuring cover art from Bill Willingham (Willingham also provided much of the interior art for The Secret of Bone Hill as well). Willingham has his own unique style, and his DnD artwork always tells a story. The two magic-users battling on the front cover are really going at it -- normally I wouldn't suggest area of effect spells such as Fireball and Chain Lightning to be used in close combat, but hey -- they seem to be having fun :)
As a side note, one of the things that I always enjoyed about the 80's modules is the full color artwork TSR used to illustrate the back covers. It's a practice the company moved away from in later years, but as even as a kid I appreciated the extra illustrations. For The Secret of Bone Hill, we're given a funky hydra by the ever amazing Erol Otus. Awesome!
Dungeon Magazine #63
I love Tony DiTerlizzi's artwork, and he doesn't disappoint with the cover for Dungeon issue 63. His illustrations tend to capture the magic and whimsy of fantasy worlds in an innocent, childlike way free from the darkness and horror of some of his contemporaries -- Brom, I'm looking at you ;) I find DiTerlizzi's art to be imaginative and refreshing, often times pointing to the goodness that can be found in the world.
Dungeons & Dragons (3e) Deities and Demigods
In yesterday's post, I talked about my admiration for Glen Michael Angus's incredible artwork, and mentioned that I would share my favorite Angus illustrations from the Deities and Demigods 3e book. Well here they are :) What a gorgeous use of color and form to depict Norse mythological characters (Sif and Thor for the win!).
The 3e Deities and Demigods book is a fantastic art reference, not only for Angus's work, but for other artists as well including Wayne Reynolds (arguably the most prolific and well-known fantasy game artist working today). The book is filled with full-color illustrations and each artist is given credit on the actual page in which their work appears -- something sadly lacking in most tabletop roleplaying game publications.
AD&D Forgotten Realms - Cult of the Dragon
It's Forgotten Realms Friday, and yes it's another cult (seems to be a lot of that going around lately!). This TSR game book features the Clyde Caldwell cover illustration Spellfire (originally appeared on the cover of Ed Greenwood's novel by the same name). Interior art by Glen Michael Angus (sometimes known as Glen Angus).
A note about Glen Michael Angus -- he was an incredibly talented artist who left us way too soon at the young age of 36. He began working for TSR in 1994 and illustrated Magic: The Gathering cards. My favorite Angus work by far are his full color illustrations for the Deities and Demigods (3e) book. I'll make a post tomorrow ;)
Dragon Magazine Issue 37
Out of over 400 cover illustrations for Dragon Magazine, issue 37 is definitely one of my all time favorites. The artist, simply known as Darlene, is the only female illustrator from the early days of TSR. In a roughly 5 year time span (1979-1984), Darlene created some of the most recognizable, yet underappreciated artwork for the company, including the design of the TSR logo.
The cover for The Dragon issue 37 is presented in a dreamy, colorful way. The young princess is named Jasmine, and she is the featured character in Darlene's comic strip, "The Story of Jasmine" that ran from issue 37 through 48.
Darlene is still a working artist, and "The Story of Jasmine" continues to this day, published electronically. Darlene has a website and a Patreon. Make sure to visit -- her work is both ethereal and beautiful :)
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons All That Glitters
I love Brian Williams' cover art on this AD&D adventure module -- the colors and design capture an era (some serious Atari 2600 vibes going on!).
All That Glitters was created by the TSR UK division, and (according to acaeum.com) was originally used as a tournament adventure at the GamesFair 1982 Open. All That Glitters, and the other UK modules, weren't readily available for US gamers, but (thanks to the power of the internet) you can snag a copy for around $30 on eBay.
Cover illustration: Brian Williams
Interior art: Tim Sell
Dragon Magazine Issue 49
Dragon #49 featured an amazing cover illustration by Tim Hildebrandt, one of the legends of fantasy artwork. Hildebrandt's style and use of color is immediately recognizable, and this epic cover depicting a red dragon torching a castle is a classic.
Both Tim and his twin brother Greg, known as "The Brothers Hildebrandt," created some of the best known and well-loved fantasy artwork in the 70's and 80's, including illustrations for The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Their work is truly unparalleled.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Unearthed Arcana
Arguably the greatest AD&D game book ever released, Unearthed Arcana expanded the game we know and love in ways we still appreciate today. Written by Gary Gygax and released in 1985, the book declared that it was:
A compendium of new ideas and new discoveries for AD&D game campaigns, of benefit to players and Dungeon Masters alike.
Within its pages, Unearthed Arcana introduced new character classes (including the Barbarian) and new spells (including Cantrips), as well as new magic items and weapons. The book was divided into a Player's Section and a Dungeon Master's Section, and all information was easily accessible and incredibly well laid out.
As a kid in the mid 80's I didn't have a lot of money, but I made sure to scrape together my nickles and dimes to buy Unearthed Arcana the week of its release. All these years later I still have my copy :)
Extraordinary cover illustration ("The Last Spell") by Jeff Easley.
AD&D Conan Unchained!
"His name is Conan, and no man can stand before him in battle." - Robert E. Howard
The Conan adventure modules were one of the first intellectual property tie-ins released by TSR. At the time, it was a natural fit -- both AD&D and the Conan The Barbarian motion picture were cultural hits in the early 80's with nerds like me. Instead of using an illustration on the front cover of the introductory Conan Unchained! module as one would expect, TSR used a movie photo showing Arnold Schwarzenegger in all his muscular glory (no doubt to help increase sales). TSR would again use a photo of Schwarzenegger for the second module, but all further modules in the series featured illustrated covers.
Interior artwork by Jeffrey Butler.
AD&D Dark Sun, Elves of Athas
For me, Dark Sun is one of the most fascinating campaign settings created by TSR. Perhaps it's the post-apocalyptic desert and survival narrative (Mad Max vibes anyone?), or Brom's evocative art direction... Regardless, Dark Sun creates an aesthetic far different than the Tolkienesque D&D landscapes we typically play in.
Which brings us to Elves of Athas -- an example of one of the fine game accessories released for the Dark Sun setting. The book allowed players and DMs to explore the world of Athas's elves. As the book teases:
The elves of Athas are forged in the endless desert-burned dark by the sun, toughened by the swirling sands, and given strength and swiftness by the constant wind. Come run with them -- if you dare!
Cover art by Brom. Interior art by Tony Di'Terlizzi.