Testimonial
David A. Hargrave
1946-1988
Dave, You put us through Hell... several in fact, not counting the spirals, decks of life,
walls of whimsey, fogs, mists and rolling pools of era hue and aroma, as well as gates,
teleports, planes, prismatic barriers, and a thousand and one less lethal places.
Because of you, we encountered, confronted, defeated, and/or were bested by
demons, dragons, giants, lycanthropes, spigas, slimes, Kthoi, Urukks, kraken,
undead of every persuasion, and five thousand and one other shag uglies,
not the least which was our own pride and greed.
Because of you, we wielded ten thousand and one
weird and wonderful artifacts of power...
and sometimes they wielded us.
Because of you, we existed, even those of us who are no longer.
Our existence was no less real for being in your imagination.
May others like you share your vision, that others like us may still exist...somewhere.
Rissk Talso
Sunshine Kazamon
Lord Elric Amberstar
Jothar Dawnstar Zippy Brightwater
Garros Nine-Finger Stinky the Knoblin
Martirion Harrowgard Bimli the Cockney Dwarf
Marcus Washington Watson
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The Arduin Grimoire by David Hargrave
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Notes by David A. Hargrave on the Arduin Review in Issue 7 of Different Worlds magazine
Dear Tadashi;
To begin with, I'd like to say that I think your publication has become a major force in FRP field and stands to become so in the more conventional game field as well. The fears I had about you becoming a "House Organ" have been put to rest, I suspect forever, by your consistent high quality and adherence to impartiality. Three cheers for you all!
On now to the article in question, I would like to expand what Mike Gunderloy said in his Arduin review (in Different Worlds, Issue 5 Nov-Dec, 1979) beginning with comments on artwork.
I have always tried to help struggling artists to get a foothold in the genre by paying top dollar (over $1500 on artwork to date!), by giving everyone a chance. My current artist is Greg Espinoza. His artwork at times is as good as any I've seen anywhere, and I do include "the pros" when I say that. Greg is a "pro" now as well, and his published portfolio has helped him immeasurably, and will continue to do so. My compatriots at Grimoire Games have just signed him up for a $300-$400 job based on his work from me in the past. Artwork is part and parcel of any "good" FRP game/rules, and I intend to push our standards even higher.
Caliban is not our only "module" on the market, we also have Howling Tower, and Citadel of Thunder. Our latest effort is Death Heart (a combined overland/dungeon adventure). We also have nine game projects coming up in the next year, so look for us to be all over the place, all of the time!
I will take issue with the comment Mike made that Arduin is not a second generation game and simply reply that the rules were written as an improvement and carry forward to the first generation D&D rules, and is such are second generation in concept and execution of play.
I will also take issue with his comment that "the trilogy will not be of much use to you unless you like his style" and simply comment that he later contradicts himself by telling people to "take what they want and leave the rest." An obvious indication that everyone can find something of use, with, or without modification is simply that the rules are designed to be used piece meal as well as in their entirety. On the other hand, I really can't fault Mike for anything he has said, for two very good reasons. The first being he is obviously a "fan" of mine and Arduin, and as such, his article is quite complimentary to my work, and I'd be stupid to "attack" someone such as that, and secondly, by his standard of viewpoint, he is right in all he has said. After all, it is divergent opinion that spawned my work in the first place, so who am I to kick when someone sees my work differently than I do?
At any rate I will say what I feel and you will know that I appreciate all that he had to say as well. I'm not stupid enough to think that I know all there is to know about the subject, nor am I asinine enough to think that other opinions of my work don't have merit. Because it has been just those opinion which I have constantly asked for that have helped me to produce better and more playable rules. The people are the final arbitrators in the market place, and those who do not listen to them will, in the end, be abandoned by them.
I will also mention that in my work I do tell people that, generally speaking, each spell costs one point per level to use. So the comment that spell points/mana cost is not given is not correct in the strictest sense. I did not give the specific cost for one very good reason: Almost everyone I know or have read about (in A&E, DW, etc.) use their own system or a modification of someone else's system for Magik. So by not giving spell points/mana cost I leave it up to each individual as to what system they will use, and do not saddle them with one more "One True Way."
The accuracy of the combat/weapons system is based on 20 years of research in places as divergent as the University of Munich in Germany, to the battlefields of Vietnam (Dave was a Vietnam Vet), to the tourney fields of the Society of Creative Anachronism. I have probably read some 10,000 books or more on the subject of warfare in all of its contexts, and have at one time, or another been involved in Kendo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and Judo, and have used weaponry ranging from boar spears and katanas to flamethrowers and C-4 plastique. I do know what I write about, a fact which escapes many of my competitors who apparently do not.
I think I am most proud of my demon lore and worked hard to perfect it for my game, in fact I think I must agree with Mike when he says they are "the best set" of those kinds of rules around.
The Arduin system grew out of need, and expanded out of a natural growth, so as Mike says, there are some omissions and a couple mistakes, most of which we are rectifying as fast as we can. All of the volumes have Tables of Contents now, and the spelling and other grammatical errors are being cleaned up each reprinting. We will be rewriting the entire three books so that we can put it under two covers as Advanced Arduin and as Basic Arduin with all the sections now scattered about regrouped into a coherent series of chapters with a reasonably easy line of logical progression. The three original volumes will remain in print for collectors and the purists, and will in no way be negated as a playing system.
I have finished producing rules booklets for the Arduin Trilogy (It wouldn't be a trilogy then, now would it?), but will publish next an 8-1/2"x11" color cover format book called, tentatively Arduin, Bloody Arduin that will contain all of my modifications and additions to my own rules, which are currently in play in my game. You can see, even I can change how I feel about certain rules, even if I wrote them to begin with! At any rate, it will not be an "official" new rules book, just a "supplement" for all those people that keep screaming at me to give them more.
One final comment and I'll close, but before that I'd simply like to say: Thank you Mr. Gunderloy for a highly entertaining, informative, and enjoyable article on my work.
Fantasy role-playing as a way of life has finally become rooted in the American way of life, and as a lifestyle it brings immensely rewards to its practitioners, more so than many so called "alternatives" that come to mind. I am very proud to have been even a small part of its beginning, and will strive to live up to its potential for good in the future. My best to you all.
David A. Hargrave
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Different Worlds, Issue 7, April/May 1980