Agile Monk, Author at The Agile Monk

TRACTICS to Dungeons & Dragons

Finding Dungeons and Dragons in the 1974 and 1975 time period led to what would become one of my favorite hobbies of all time: Tabletop Roleplaying Games. Or as was often more aptly referred to back in the late ’70s and early ’80s as Fantasy Roleplaying Games (FRPGs). Having played Chainmail and already into historical ancient and medieval miniatures, this now brought to the life the chance to creat magical stories and events around them. To bring my own – similar to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis – fantasy worlds to life with me and my friends, was a whole new use of imagination and level of gaming.

Dungeons and Dragons Original Three Book Boxed Set with Reference Sheets.

These three books (in their boxed set w/reference sheets), “Men & Magic“, “Monsters & Treasure“, and “The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures“, were the most amazing and ingenious production of in the gaming hobby that I had ever witnessed up to that point in time. It changed everything and brought about a whole new way to game and create continuous levels of fun and engaging materials, as it gave that “nerd” in you the freedom and approval and validation to do something you always wanted to do – slay dragons and evil monsters, and be a magnificent hero – albeit in a fantasy world all your own.

This was and is DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures.

Thank you, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and all the great people of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), you all made a wondeful difference in my life, that would and continues to be part of my life to this day.

September 2, 2022 by Agile Monk General Topics 1

Chainmail led to TRACTICS Rules for WWII Miniatures

The above picture of my three (3) volumes from my 1975 version of TRACTICS for WWII Miniatures

Tractics was first released by Guidon Games in 1971 and was created by Mike Reese & Leon Tucker with Gary Gygax and illustrated by Don Lowry. I discovered this just a little after Chainmail (it was from the same company Guidon Games – just as Chainmail – it was later republished by TSR, Inc). It ignited an itch in my historical love of WWII and wanting to recreate battles I had read about or seen in the movies I watched related to this period in history. Turned out to be quite a bit more sophisticated than the old-school plastic WWII toy soldiers that my brother and I had lying about.

My Copy of TRACTICS as Published by TSR, Inc. in 1975

The original concept it suggested of using 1/87 scale miniatures was an HO scale type of miniature, and just a bit far out of range in cost and accessibility for me as a young kid, doing paper routes and working at the donut shop part-time, etc., so I had to put vehicle purchases to the side. Later, I would find 1/285 scale micro armor (think GHQ), which was far more affordable and realistic in playability and table size (as in space available to put on a game).

Ok, that was a quick run down memory lane, but what is most important about all of this is how it would lead me to find Roleplaying Games (aks Tabletop Roleplaying Games, as we call them these days). We all have our stories, and I know mine took numerous different trails and travels around the world of Board Games, Miniature Wargames, and ultimately, playing all types of Tabletop RPGs of various genres.

Keep following and reading along as I share my path and much more about TTRPGs.

Chaimail…by Guidon Games…

Image by: Bander Bramblegrub – Chainmail session at G ary Con II

Guidon Games creates Chainmail – Rules for Medieval Miniatures – 1st Edition, 1971. Chainmail would later come under Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR) ownership when they acquired its rights in 1975.

**Chainmail by Guidon Games**
by Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren

Yes, as a young kid in love with the idea of Knights, King Arthur, and movies like El Cid and Robin Hood, I had found a book that brought this period to life. Then, all I had to do was find some miniatures and identify a friend or family member that might play with me (but that’s another story for another day).

What I want to bring to life here is that I had found something that wasn’t a typical board game or family card game but something that took “gaming” to a whole new level. Plus, in finding this and visiting libraries, I started to see that there were these things called miniature wargames and that historical miniature wargaming was an actual thing, and I found a book called “Little Wars” by H. G. Wells. And this would turn out to be just the beginning of my discoveries.

July 14, 2022 by Agile Monk General Topics Miniature Wargaming 0

Discovering next-level “Gaming” in the ’70s

As a teen in the mid-seventies, it was a time of discovery and imagination taking hold of me and exploring all types of gaming options hiding in the woodworks of the “gaming” hobby.

It was one thing to play Monopoly and Risk, and what was the most advanced level of strategy gaming with the board game Diplomacy by Allan B. Calhamer, and thinking I was at the top of my game (pun intended). Oh, and yes, I had been playing chess and backgammon during this time. Still, it just wasn’t enough. I needed and wanted more of a challenge and something that had more variety and long-term playability without the typical and expected outcomes.

Don’t get me wrong, Diplomacy very much offered this, but getting seven players in a room at one time willing to play the “long game” made it challenging. Needing players to engage with led me to play Diplomacy by Mail, which was a long and drawn-out process and didn’t allow as much collaboration and communication as it did when playing face-to-face. So I continued with my search through comic books (reading the advertisements) and reading what other Diplomacy players were into as part of the ‘Zines that were typed up and mailed out by folks that were refereeing games of Diplomacy for the Play-by-Mail hobby. Finally, I combined the above efforts with taking long bus rides to search out hobby stores and places offering more options in the arena of board games and such. Ultimately these efforts would pay off big time, and I would discover three great things out there – miniature wargaming, historical board games, and a reasonably new concept – role-playing games.

These discoveries were better than Monty Hall on “Let’s Make a Deal,” as I got to pick from all three doors and embrace a whole new hobby life full of inspiration, imagination, and brain-engaging fun.

Until next time.

July 11, 2022 by Agile Monk General Topics 0