Old ads from old Dragon mags

[Quasqueton]

Dragon magazine used to have a few pages at the back full of small advertisements for small RPG and RPG-related companies. I was looking through a couple old Dragon magazines last night, and found these interesting advertisements:

Dragon #169, May 1991

Role Players Game Masters
Why spend hours generating a party of characters when you can do it in minutes with a phone call?

Get Pre-Rolled parties that are Computer checked for accuracy and Race, Class, and Alignment conflicts, from the Role Player's Character Source Hotline.

Call:
1-900-872-2600 Ex. 915
($2.00 Per Minute)

WANTED: CHILL MASTER
Full-time/Salary + Expenses
Mayfair Games is looking for an outgoing, creative, responsible individual who is an experienced Chill Master. This person will be running the Chill RPG at conventions around the nation. Must be articulate and able to represent Mayfair to the public. Also will be expected to call on retailers as part of the promotion program.

Please send resume and brief introductory adventure ideas to:
Karen Forbes
Mayfair Games, Inc.
P.O. Box 48539
Niles, IL 60648
NO phone calls will be accepted.

***

Dragon #77, September 1983

TIMEMASTER
Are you tired of seeing your adventures believability challenged? Tired of trying to keep track of not only your time but everyone else's? Now you can know what turn, what hour, what part of the day or night, what part of the month, what month of the year, all at a glance!

Yes, you can keep track of time for one or more adventures simultaneously with this decorative, easy to use, colored time board!

With quality origninal graphics, which are our trademark, Timemaster will not only enhance and speed up your gaming experience, it will continue to do so for many years to come. This is due to Timemaster's quality 5 1/2 x 11 1/2 inch wood base and high gloss resin which provides a beautiful and durable surface.

Comes complete and fully assembled and ready to use --- for only $12.95 plus 1.75 for postage and handling.

MAKES A GREAT AND USEFUL GIFT FOR ANY DUNGEON SEEKER.

Also send $1.00 and receive our complete catalogue of kits for inns, bridges, towers, rooms, etc. Send check or money order to Advanced Graphics, 2618 E. Jefferson St. #1, Orlando FL 32803. Allow 2 to 6 weeks for delivery.

GameMaster
Let your home computer take over the record-keeping and dice-rolling chores associated with role-playing games!

GameMaster is compatible with Dungeons & Dragons*

It lets you create and store characters and monsters and offers many other features.

For:
Apple II plus - 48K disk -----$29.95
VIC 20 - 5K cassette -----$19.95
Timex-Sinclair - 16K cassette -----$14.95

Send order to:
McKelvie Programs
P.O. Box 53076
Phila., PA 19105
(PA residents add 6% sales tax)

* Dungeons & Dragons is a registered trademakr of TSR Hobbies, Inc., and GameMaster is not associated with TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Quasqueton

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I think I had the GameMaster program, but it must have been a later version since I had it on my Commodore 64.

 

[IanB]

The real question is, are they as ugly as those horrible PBEM "cartoon" ads that run in the current magazines?

I have to admit, my sadness at the magazines going away is tempered by glee at the fact that I will hopefully never have to look at one of those ads again.

 

[Scribble]

I wonder if anyone ever got the Chill Master job...

Tell me that wouldn't make an awesome business card... Even if you weren't into gaming, some dude rolls up with a business card identifying him as The Chill Master...

You'd probably have to dress like a 70's blacksploitation pimp though.

 

[Vorput]

Get Pre-Rolled parties that are Computer checked for accuracy and Race, Class, and Alignment conflicts, from the Role Player's Character Source Hotline.

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

 

[kenobi65]

Get Pre-Rolled parties that are Computer checked for accuracy and Race, Class, and Alignment conflicts, from the Role Player's Character Source Hotline.

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

Someday, someone will figure out how we can do things like that and directly load them onto our computers.

 

[Loincloth of Armour]

You'd probably have to dress like a 70's blacksploitation pimp though.

You say it like it's a bad thing...

 

[frankthedm]

You'd probably have to dress like a 70's blacksploitation pimp though.

LOL

 

[Scribble]

You say it like it's a bad thing...

Eh every job has somewhat of a dress code I guess...

 

[Dioltach]

Get Pre-Rolled parties that are Computer checked for accuracy and Race, Class, and Alignment conflicts, from the Role Player's Character Source Hotline.

So basically, you have a bunch of D&D players sitting at home rolling up characters and groups, and then selling them over the phone. After having checked the stats on their computer, of course (ah, for the days when 'computer checked for accuracy' made you sound credible!). For the D&D group that either fails to see the fun in creating new characters, or that doesn't see that copying the stats they are told by phone might just take almost as long as just rolling up the characters themselves. And for only $2 per minute!

Maybe they were catering for the yuppie roleplayers, with money to burn and no time for formalities.

(And what if you were playing a different game? Or a different edition? What if you needed a party for your Dark Sun campaign, and got stuck with bunch of OD&D wimps?)