Friday, February 26, 2010

Bill Willingham and Lands of Adventure


This game (and cover) has been mentioned in a couple places today. I'd never heard of the game or seen this picture before, but wow.

11 comments:

  1. I have the game, it is interesting and has a few more never before seen willingham pics inside!

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  2. -that's awesome

    -her hands are too small

    -there's a hidden face in the rocks in the lower right hand corner

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  3. Damn, I had that game. Bought it mostly for the cover since I'm a big Willingham fan.

    Lost long ago during a move.

    -sob-

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  4. "A fantasy role playing adventure game for use by a Gamemaster and any number of players (ages 12 and up). LANDS OF ADVENTURE includes all rules necessary for the creation of characters, encounters, combat, magic, and adventure. It is a unique game in that it has been designed for adaptability of world background. "Modular 'Culture Packs' detail the necessary changes and additions to the basic system to add on new 'worlds' from myth and legend. Each such world background is carefully researched and presents an in depth survey of the culture, religion, and social framework of the society portrayed. "This package comes complete with the basic rules to LANDS OF ADVENTURE and a double culture pack detailing the epic worlds of Mythic Greece and Medieval England (with an additional section on the England of King Arthur). Thus, even the basic game is playable in a world of the Gamemaster's creation or in either of the two cultural backgrounds provided. "Included in LANDS OF ADVENTURE are the 32 page rulebook, the 30 page double culture pack, and a cardstock character sheet." [By noted oriental gaming writer Lee Gold.]

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  5. btw, is the manticore dead, or simply too busy adoring the valkyrie to notice the arrows sticking out of its neck?

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  6. Lee Gold may be known for her Land of the Rising Sun (C&S-inspired rules for a medieval fantasy Japan), but she should be more noted for being the Organizing Editor (OE) for Alarums & Excursions.

    Lands of Adventure is an underappreciated game, IMNSHO.

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  7. Parenthetically, that's gotta be the handsomest Manticore I've ever seen.

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  8. First, I was going to chime in on Lee Gold saying something more like, "By noted awesome person and all around great writer Lee Gold."

    Second...Damn you D&D for making people think that's a Manticore. The Manticore of myth and folklore was not a winged beast and did not fly.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manticore

    http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast177.htm

    My view of the cover's story was always...

    The Valkyrie-like warrior maiden just saved that beast from some attacker that we either felled or has fled. At the same time, the creature got itself into the mess in the first place so she is teaching it a lesson. First she'll clean her blade, than she'll remove the arrows and tend to its wounds.

    Sadly, the lesson my be wasted on the monster who is so happy to be alive it can't help fall for what it assumes is its guardian angel.

    Or something.

    I was a teenager for Spock's sake.

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  9. I too own this game. I am afraid the cover is the best part. An overly complicated game not explained clearly enough to play if you didn't have someone who already knew how to play to teach you. The campaign setting are too overly generic to be interesting as well. Of course I am biased, never being a big fan of Alrums and Excursions either (A publication somewhat similiar to an internet forum done on mimeograph paper and mailed monthly, a great deal of sound and fury signifying nothing. I read a friends copy but not having read the previous multitude of issues was mostly lost as to what they weere discussing, when I could actually make out the letters of the mineograph)

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  10. The artwork is one of my favourite pieces by him.

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  11. btw, is the manticore dead, or simply too busy adoring the valkyrie to notice the arrows sticking out of its neck?

    "Hey, lady... about those healing potions you said you had... any day now, okay?"

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