Now this is a throwback.
The Twitter account Pulp Librarian recently took a deep dive into the history and origins of Dungeons and Dragons, and some of the graphics they uncovered are quite the site to behold.
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The self-proclaimed “curator of the art, history and fiction of old dreams,” The Pulp Librarian posted over a dozen tweets on February 5 running readers through the story of D&D creator Gary Gygax and the initial iterations of the TTRPG we’ve all come to know and love.
The full thread can be found here, and we’ve decided to feature a few of our favorite tidbits and graphics below:
Chainmail was created in 1971 by Gary Gygax and Jeff Perrin as a medieval wargame. But it came with a supplementary set of rules for fantasy wargaming: dragons, trolls, spells and magic swords could now be part of the gameplay. pic.twitter.com/iNtTUXCJsG
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) February 5, 2021
Unlike traditional miniature wargames, in Dungeons & Dragons you managed a specific character rather than an army. Players worked together (or not) to solve problems, fight battles and gain experience. A Dungeon Master acted as storyteller and referee. pic.twitter.com/xcISDL63FB
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) February 5, 2021
The boom in Dungeons & Dragons coincided with the ‘Satanic Panic’ of the early 1980s. The game was denounced by some evangelical groups for apparently promoting witchcraft and demon worship. pic.twitter.com/OagQdnitlw
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) February 5, 2021
TSR continued as an independent company for another 12 years after Gygax left, but by the mid 1990s it had fallen behind its competitors. It was acquired by Wizards of the Coast in 1997, and by 2000 the TSR name was dropped from Dungeons and Dragons products. pic.twitter.com/m3Ut1toVl9
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) February 5, 2021
That’s it for my look at the history of Dungeons & Dragons.
More stories (*rolls dice*) another time… pic.twitter.com/7uJuZFNK5o
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) February 5, 2021
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