Gamebooks

[Eternalknight]

The fact that Lone Wolf is being made into a RPG got me thinking. Who here used to read gamebooks? Things like Fighting Fantsay, Lone Wolf, GrailQuest, Way of the Tiger.... who here still reads them? Do you still own these books?

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Things like Fighting Fantsay, Lone Wolf, GrailQuest, Way of the Tiger.... who here still reads them? Do you still own these books?

All of the above, + the other Dever series.

 

[CCamfield]

Used to read some of the Fighting Fantasy, that was about it - oh, except for one of the Tolkien-based ones, which were pretty cool because there was more of a system to them, as well as maps that let you got to choose where to go.

 

[KChagga]

I used to read the Lone Wolf series. I think I have all the way up to book 16 or 17. Unfortunately I only have the crappy US abridged versions. Why did they do that anyways? Did they think the books were too long for americans or something.

 

[Mistwell]

I used to read the Lone Wolf series. I think I have all the way up to book 16 or 17. Unfortunately I only have the crappy US abridged versions. Why did they do that anyways? Did they think the books were too long for americans or something.

If you mean Lone Wold & Cub, they are being re-released right now, in original format, without abridgement. I believe they are on book 27 right now. Quite an investment, but I have found it to be well worth it.

 

[Eternalknight]

If you mean Lone Wold & Cub, they are being re-released right now, in original format, without abridgement. I believe they are on book 27 right now. Quite an investment, but I have found it to be well worth it.

Nope, not Lone Wolf and Cub. This is something else, written by Joe Dever. They are fantasy gamebooks.

 

[Capellan]

The fact that Lone Wolf is being made into a RPG got me thinking. Who here used to read gamebooks? Things like Fighting Fantsay, Lone Wolf, GrailQuest, Way of the Tiger.... who here still reads them? Do you still own these books?

Fighting Fantasy - yes. Just completed my collection (all 59 of the original series, all 4 Sorcery! books, the FF RPG, the 2 player gamebooks, and the five 2nd Ed RPG books)

Way of the Tiger - yes, have 'em all

Grailquest - not only have 'em all, but recognise the Tomb of Nightmares book as a partial adaption of the original Tomb of Horrors module.

Lone Wolf - have a couple. The price of some of the later releases ($200 US for #22 or #28, for instance) have thus far dissuaded me from collecting them.

I've got bits and pieces of various other series as well. Golden Dragon, Virtual Reality, Fabled Lands and Crossroads.

 

[Eternalknight]

Re: Re: Gamebooks

Fighting Fantasy - yes. Just completed my collection (all 59 of the original series, all 4 Sorcery! books, the FF RPG, the 2 player gamebooks, and the five 2nd Ed RPG books)

Five 2nd ed RPG books? Are you reffering to the Advanced Fighting Fantasy series? If so, what are books 4 and 5? (I only have 3 of them...) Am I missing some?

Do you have the novels as well? I have fond memories of them, though I can't find two of the stand alone ones anywhere Also, you forgot The Riddling Reaver

Lone Wolf - have a couple. The price of some of the later releases ($200 US for #22 or #28, for instance) have thus far dissuaded me from collecting them.

I've got bits and pieces of various other series as well. Golden Dragon, Virtual Reality, Fabled Lands and Crossroads.

Tell me about it. I actually have book 22, and was surprised to see how much it was selling for on Ebay. Don't have Golden Dragon, though I have read them. Virtual Reality were interesting (I have the first 4) but I missed the dice Fabled Lands were an awesome series; it's just a pity it was never finished.

 

[Capellan]

Re: Re: Re: Gamebooks

Five 2nd ed RPG books? Are you reffering to the Advanced Fighting Fantasy series? If so, what are books 4 and 5? (I only have 3 of them...) Am I missing some?

Sorry, I'm including Titan and Out of the Pit as part of the 5. Not strictly accurate, but I keep those books together as a set, so that's the way I think of them.

Do you have the novels as well? I have fond memories of them, though I can't find two of the stand alone ones anywhere Also, you forgot The Riddling Reaver

I've read the novels. Never bothered to purchase them, though - I didn't think they were good enough to bother. Not that some of the actual gamebooks are all that wonderful ... I'm just not that much a fan of gaming fiction. Except story hours

As for Riddling Reaver, you're right - I did forget to list it. I do have it, though.

Tell me about it. I actually have book 22, and was surprised to see how much it was selling for on Ebay. Don't have Golden Dragon, though I have read them. Virtual Reality were interesting (I have the first 4) but I missed the dice Fabled Lands were an awesome series; it's just a pity it was never finished.

If you ever decide to sell #22, let me know

Fabled Lands was a very interesting idea, but I think the fact that you had to buy them all to get the maximum use may have put some people off ... which probably contributed to the series never being finished.

Personally, I think a series of D20 gamebooks, aimed at the same level as the early FF books, would be Good Thing (TM). Gamebooks got a lot of kids into gaming while I was in school, and they are a great learning tool for new players - they get used to dice mechanics at their own speed, without the intimidation of all the other players around them.

A mass market paperback is also a lot less money than PH + DMG + MM. Makes a good 'sampler' for people to try out. If they did the same as the Sorcery books and print die rolls at the bottom of the pages, they wouldn't even need the players to get their own dice ...

 

[Sulimo]

Yep. I remember having both Lone Wolf and Way of the Tiger books (even had that as a computer game) once upon a time. Don't have any of 'em now though.

WRT Lone Wolf I cant even remember ANYTHING about the setting, thus my response to the announcement is a little lukewarm. Especially compared to Conan.