The SECOND oldest roleplaying game

[kyonshi]

We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.
It was likely not someone coming up with the idea independently though,
a local gamer had played with Dave Arneson's group before and brought
the concept to Minneapolis. The author of DUNGEON Craig VanGrasstek
collected the variants into a ruleset and published them to share with
the wider world. But of course the existence of DnD brought all that to
an end.
I wonder if other variants were around at the time as well.

http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html

and here is a copy of the rules as pdf

http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html

Does anyone have some more information about that old Minneapolis scene?

[kyonshi]

Post by kyonshi
and here is a copy of the rules as pdf
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html

Of course only after posting it I realized that the link to the pdf in
the article doesn't work. Thank the Gods that Wayback Machine exists:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191222015731/http://www.unreason.com/files/RulesToTheGameOfDungeon.pdf

[Ubiquitous]

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.

Was FANTASY ROLE PLAYING before or after D&D?

--
Let's go Brandon!

[kyonshi]

Post by Ubiquitous

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.

Was FANTASY ROLE PLAYING before or after D&D?
--
Let's go Brandon!

Doesn't tell me anything right now. Do you mean Fantasy Wargaming: The
Highest Level of All? (which despite it's name is an rpg and not a wargame)

[Ubiquitous]

Post by kyonshi

Post by Ubiquitous

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.

Was FANTASY ROLE PLAYING before or after D&D?

Doesn't tell me anything right now. Do you mean Fantasy Wargaming: The
Highest Level of All? (which despite it's name is an rpg and not a wargame)

Yeah, that's the one! HORRIBLE game mechanics but very historically accurate.

--
Let's go Brandon!

[kyonshi]

Post by Ubiquitous

Post by kyonshi

Post by Ubiquitous

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.

Was FANTASY ROLE PLAYING before or after D&D?

Doesn't tell me anything right now. Do you mean Fantasy Wargaming: The
Highest Level of All? (which despite it's name is an rpg and not a wargame)

Yeah, that's the one! HORRIBLE game mechanics but very historically accurate.
--
Let's go Brandon!

From what I know that one only came out in 1981.

I listened to a podcast episode about that one a while ago, I think
there was someone who did some academic work on this topic.

Vintage RPG Podcast Episode:
https://www.vintagerpg.com/2020/02/fantasy-wargaming/

There's also a free pdf of a book about it at Carnegie Mellon University
Press https://press.etc.cmu.edu/books/highest-level-all

In any case, this might have been more widespread because it was also
published in the Doubleday book club, so more people might have had
access to it that otherwise did not have contact with DnD. On the other
hand this book is DENSE. And one generally doesn't hear about many
people fondly remembering Fantasy Wargaming, so I guess it also wasn't
very successful as a system.

[Zaghadka]

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.
It was likely not someone coming up with the idea independently though,
a local gamer had played with Dave Arneson's group before and brought
the concept to Minneapolis. The author of DUNGEON Craig VanGrasstek
collected the variants into a ruleset and published them to share with
the wider world. But of course the existence of DnD brought all that to
an end.
I wonder if other variants were around at the time as well.
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html
and here is a copy of the rules as pdf
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html
Does anyone have some more information about that old Minneapolis scene?

And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."

Imagine my disappointment.

[kyonshi]

Post by Zaghadka

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.
It was likely not someone coming up with the idea independently though,
a local gamer had played with Dave Arneson's group before and brought
the concept to Minneapolis. The author of DUNGEON Craig VanGrasstek
collected the variants into a ruleset and published them to share with
the wider world. But of course the existence of DnD brought all that to
an end.
I wonder if other variants were around at the time as well.
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html
and here is a copy of the rules as pdf
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html
Does anyone have some more information about that old Minneapolis scene?

And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

I think there's other groups for that.

[Spalls Hurgenson]

Post by Zaghadka
And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

It could be both. If you pay enough, they'll do anything you want.

Well... almost. Even Minneapolis sex workers draw the line at playing
4th Edition. ;-)

[kyonshi]

Post by Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Zaghadka
And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

It could be both. If you pay enough, they'll do anything you want.
Well... almost. Even Minneapolis sex workers draw the line at playing
4th Edition. ;-)

I put on my robe and wizard hat...

[Zaghadka]

On Sun, 11 Feb 2024 18:50:33 -0500, Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Zaghadka
And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

It could be both. If you pay enough, they'll do anything you want.
Well... almost. Even Minneapolis sex workers draw the line at playing
4th Edition. ;-)

+1

Truth. I've tried. ;^)

[Ubiquitous]

Post by Zaghadka

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.
It was likely not someone coming up with the idea independently though,
a local gamer had played with Dave Arneson's group before and brought
the concept to Minneapolis. The author of DUNGEON Craig VanGrasstek
collected the variants into a ruleset and published them to share with
the wider world. But of course the existence of DnD brought all that to
an end.
I wonder if other variants were around at the time as well.
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html
and here is a copy of the rules as pdf
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html
Does anyone have some more information about that old Minneapolis scene?

And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

I think Phil and Dixie covered that sufficiently.

--
Let's go Brandon!

[Zaghadka]

Post by Ubiquitous

Post by Zaghadka

Post by kyonshi
We were joking around on Mastodon about posting slightly wrong
information to get people to interact, when I remembered this particular
gem from Peterson's site: Rules for the Game of DUNGEON (1974) is likely
the second roleplaying game ever published, and the author did so
without knowing of the existence of Dungeons and Dragons.
It was likely not someone coming up with the idea independently though,
a local gamer had played with Dave Arneson's group before and brought
the concept to Minneapolis. The author of DUNGEON Craig VanGrasstek
collected the variants into a ruleset and published them to share with
the wider world. But of course the existence of DnD brought all that to
an end.
I wonder if other variants were around at the time as well.
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html
and here is a copy of the rules as pdf
http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/1974-dungeon-variant-now-for-download.html
Does anyone have some more information about that old Minneapolis scene?

And here I thought it had something to do with "prostitution."
Imagine my disappointment.

I think Phil and Dixie covered that sufficiently.

LOL. Point McEnroe!