All Rolled Up's Titanic Fighting Fantasy Sale!

All Rolled Up, who produce licensed Fighting Fantasy gaming accessories are having a huge sale of their FF products, with up to 50% off many items. The sale is on for one week only, from Friday 1st to Thursday 7th May, while stocks last.

To check out the Fighting Fantasy items All Rolled Up have on sale, visit their website.

Steve Beales' Galleykeep

The worlds of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy gamebooks have inspired readers, writers and artists ever since The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was first published in 1982.

One of those so inspired is amateur model-maker and miniature painter Steve Beales. You can see many examples of his Fighting Fantasy-themed models on his blog Somewhere the Tea's Getting Cold. For his most recent conversion he took inspiration from Steve Jackson's FF novel The Trolltooth Wars, not to mention his seminal gamebook, Creature of Havoc.

Zharradan Marr's aerial fortress, the Galleykeep.

The Galleykeep was Zharradan Marr's ultimate fighting machine: a majestic sky-galleon with billowing black sails which caught the wind and drew the vessel smoothly through the air. As a spectacle, its magnificence was unsurpassed. Those on the ground who saw the Galleykeep pass above believed they were watching the gods themselves sail past. As a transport vessel it could carry a thousand troops or as much cargo as passed through the Trolltooth Pass overland in ten weeks.

From The Trolltooth Wars, by Steve Jackson.

You can find out how Steve went about converting his model here, on his blog. And you can still buy PJ Montgomery and Gavin Mitchell's graphic novel adaptation of Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars here.

Deathtrap Dungeon Trilogy - now on Nintendo Switch!

Did you know that Deathtrap Dungeon Trilogy - Nomad Games' adaptation of Ian Livingstone's popular Deathtrap Dungeon, Trial of Champions and Armies of Death gamebooks - is now available for the Nintendo Switch? If not, now is a great time to pick up for the game as it is currently on sale!

Start as a novice adventurer and rise up through the ranks in these epic tales of deadly traps, fearsome monsters and devious adversaries. Relive these exciting adventures in a whole new way – by powering up your Skill and Luck dice and collecting powerful cards to help you on your quests. Featuring a detailed branching narrative system and multiple difficulty levels, relive these classic adventures like never before!

Blast from the Past! Crypt of the Sorcerer

Originally pitched as Crypt of the Necromancer - until someone at Puffin decided that you couldn’t have the word ‘Necromancer’ in the title of a book aimed at children - Ian Livingstone’s tenth Fighting Fantasy adventure (published in 1987) saw the return of some familiar FF faces and places, whilst also introducing readers to a whole new region of Allansia and some new allies in the hero’s quest to defeat Razaak, the undead sorcerer of the title.

So in Crypt of the Sorcerer we have a return to Darkwood Forest and an appearance by the Wizard Yaztromo (both originally from The Forest of Doom) whilst the hero is transported aboard a hot air balloon to not only the Moonstone Hills but also the baking Plain of Bronze. The adventure is incredibly hard, but full of wonderfully evocative encounters, backed up by the talented fossil-reconstructor John Sibbick’s captivating artwork.

“I found it quite easy to create a style for the interior drawings – more than I expected really," says Sibbick, "although it could be pretty relentless churning out the drawings – and I had no time for any ‘rough’ sketches. Now and again I look at the originals and am amazed at the work and detail involved.”

Demonspawn, by John Sibbick.

“My favourite artist is John Sibbick,” says FF enthusiast Thomas Nielsen. “I think his illustrations hit a nice balance between being realistic, stylised and dirty, and he knows how to make a monstrous creature really monstrous.”

The adventure had a second alternative working title, The Howling Tunnels, which is the place you have to visit to find the fabled Gargantis horn.

Gargantis, by John Sibbick.

Crypt of the Sorcerer was the third FF adventure to feature an original Les Edwards cover, showing the deformed Razaak preparing to cast a spell upon the hero. The painting now resides within Ian Livingstone's personal collection of Fighting Fantasy art.

When the gamebook was reissued by Wizard Books in 2002, Les Edwards produced a new composition for the cover.

As well as being the first gamebook to feature internal black and white art by John Sibbick, Crypt of the Sorcerer is also notable for being the first book to feature a colour map by Leo Hartas, centred upon the Moonstone Hills of central Allansia.

Crypt of the Sorcerer remains one of the hardest Fighting Fantasy adventures to complete, but maybe it's time it was released again to challenge a new generation of brave adventurers.

Ian Livingstone's Market Mayhem

During these testing times, many people are finding solace in gamebooks as well as traditional board games. However, museums and other similar places are suffering because they have been forced to close.

Market Mayhem is a Fighting Fantasy role-playing board game adventure for 3-14 players. It was designed by Ian Livingstone and first published in Issue #3 of Warlock magazine. FF fan Kevin Abbotts has prepared a print-and-play version of the game, which Ian has made available for you to play with your family or friends.

To find out more, visit the Market Mayhem page on the Fighting Fantasy website. There is no charge, however, we would ask instead that you make a charitable donation to the emergency appeal to save the National Videogame Museum.

City of Thieves Live Readthrough

It has come to my attention, through my scrying ball, that your Earthly Plane is currently being ravaged by a terrible disease and, as a result, many of you are unable to leave your homes.

Here in Allansia we are no strangers to pandemics and mass contagions. Most recently Salamonis suffered the effects of a terrible Demon Plague.

To help alleviate the stress of being trapped indoors*, why not join Yaztromo** today, at 3:00pm BST, for a live readthrough of Ian Livingstone's classic Fighting Fantasy gamebook, City of Thieves?

And remember, stay home, stay safe, and keep well.

* Although imagine how stressful it would be if you were living in Port Blacksand?

** Or it may be one of his simulacra minions.

Tricksters and Riddlers

Today, upon your Earthly Plane, it is the day known as April Fool's, when people play all manner of pranks on their families and friends, hoping to catch them out by duping them into believing that their cunning fabrications are in fact the truth*.

Logaan, Lord of the Tricksters

There is also such a day here in Allansia, the Holy Day of Logaan, which falls on the 12th of Warming. Logaan is the Lord of the Trickster Gods, devoted to maintaining a balance between the forces of Good and Evil. He is often depicted as a crazed clown, accompanied by the mysterious twins Kata and Petros, who represent the pull between Order and Chaos.

Logaan is the creator of Mankind on Titan, and was the first god to put a part of himself into what he created from the magical clay of life. It was also Logaan who discovered the deity Time in one of the outer planes, which eventually led to the First Battle.

His priests are dedicated to their god's cause of balancing Good and Evil, Law and Chaos, and wear robes that are all the colours of the rainbow. This is representative of the fact that Logaan's interests cover the whole spectrum from Good to Evil.

Logaan is the chief deity of the town of Shazâar, in western Allansia, which is also known as the 'City of Madness'. Here they celebrate the festival known as Lucre Week in honour of their god. It also seems that some members of the Halls of Learning of Salamonis worship him.

Elvins of The Shamutanti Hills.

Logaan is also the Lord of Genies, who are the immortal servants of the Trickster Gods. Apart from the many Humans who serve the Tricksters there are other races that are devoted to their creed. The Elvins of the Shamutanti Hills for instance are such a race.

Leprechauns also appear to follow Logaan's creed, although whether this is simply their nature or whether it is their belief is uncertain.

However, the most famous of the Trickster's servants is a powerful being called the Riddling Reaver. As to his origins, no one knows for certain, but he is said to live in the jungles of southern Allansia and sails around the world on his ship the Twice Shy, carrying out the work of his master Logaan.

The Riddling Reaver

A spin-off of Steve Jackson’s Fighting Fantasy – The Introductory Role-Playing Game, The Riddling Reaver (published in 1986) was an extended campaign made up of four interlinked multi-player adventures, written by Paul Mason and Steve Williams. The interior illustrations were by Brian Williams while the cover was by Peter Andrew Jones. The book also featured a number of maps by Leo Hartas.

Set in southern Allansia, a band of heroes find themselves in a battle of both wits and brawn pitted against the Riddling Reaver, an inscrutable servant of Logaan the Trickster, who is determined to upset the balance between Order and Chaos so that Chance and Luck might rule supreme.

The Riddling Reaver was Paul Mason’s first foray into the realms of Fighting Fantasy, but it certainly wasn’t his last. Both the Riddling Reaver and Lady Carolina, who appears in the adventure, and the city of Kallamehr itself would feature in Slaves of the Abyss, written by Mason and Williams, and published in 1988. The Reaver would later make another appearance in Mason's solo gamebook Magehunter.

The Riddling Reaver makes his escape in The Curse of Kallamehr.

The Riddling Reaver makes an appearance in Slaves of the Abyss.

The Riddling Reaver has some guests over for dinner in The Realm of Entropy. Recognise anyone?

* Personally I find a Befuddlement spell much more effective.