Steve Jackson Games - Fighting Fantasy Set 3

Five roleplaying adventures by Sir Ian Livingstone - including classic titles and new adventures never seen before in the United States - will make up the third set of FF gamebooks to be published by Steve Jackson Games, which will be coming to Kickstarter soon.

A beloved title makes its return to print in the epic Trial of Champions! A famous adventure finally gets an American release with the terrifying Crypt of the Sorcerer! And three recent Livingstone masterpieces that are new to American shores will be included in the set - The Dungeon on Blood Island, Assassins of Allansia, and Shadow of the Giants.

If you sign up now, you will be among the first brave heroes to continue the adventure with Fighting Fantasy Set 3. 

As well as the individual volumes and the stunning slipcase edition for Set 3, this campaign will also give you the chance to complete your collection with Slipcase Set 1 and Slipcase Set 2.

Slipcase Set 1.

Slipcase Set 2.

Each book includes everything you need to start playing, including rules, character sheets, and background.

Karl Kopinski to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 6!

The Warlock is delighted to announce that ace artist Karl Kopinski will attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 6, alongside Sir Ian Livingstone, as one of our Guests of Honour.

Karl is known for his incredible work for Magic: The Gathering, as well as working for Games Workshop, illustrating the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

In recent years, he has joined the ranks of the Fighting Fantasy artists, contributing cover art to the collector's hardbacks of Assassins of Allansia and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

And now he has illustrated Sir Ian's brand new Fighting Fantasy gamebook Tomb of the Golden Skull.

This is a rare appearance by Karl, so make sure you don't miss your chance to meet him and book your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 6 today!

The Year of the Snake

On your Earthly plane, today marks the beginning of the Year of Snake*. As a result, we thought we would revisit some classic ophidian encounters from your favourite Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

Hydra

(illustration by Russ Nicholson)

The Citadel of Chaos, by Steve Jackson

The Serpent Queen

(illustration by Iain McCaig)

City of Thieves, by Ian Livingstone

Medusa

(illustration by Nik Williams)

Armies of Death, by Ian Livingstone

Myurr the Snake Demon

(illustration by Martin McKenna)

Dead of Night, by Jim Bambra and Stephen Hand

Ophidian

(illustration by Tony Hough)

Spectral Stalkers, by Peter Darvill-Evans

Caarth Sorcerer

(illustration by Martin McKenna)

Curse of the Mummy, by Jonathan Green

Giant Serpent

(illustration by Martin McKenna)

Curse of the Mummy, by Jonathan Green

Serpensa the Snakewoman

(illustration by Martin McKenna)

Howl of the Werewolf, by Jonathan Green

The Seven Serpents

(illustration by Tony Hough)

The Seven Serpents, by Steve Jackson

And an honourable mention goes to Snake Island, where Sir Ian Livingstone's Assassins of Allansia kicks off.

What is your favourite snake-related encounter in a Fighting Fantasy gamebook? Let us know in the comments below.

* Of course, the Year of the Snake is the third in the twenty year cycle of Titan.

Sir Ian Livingstone at Lucca 2024

Last weekend, Sir Ian Livingstone was a guest at the week-long Italian comics and games fair, Lucca 2024.

Sir Ian Livingstone at Lucca 2024 with Karl Kopinski, cover artist for the hardback of Assassins of Allansia.

During his time there, he joined with others in celebrating 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons, including Luke Gygax, son of the late Gary Gygax.

Sir Ian Livingstone (centre) and Luke Gygax (second from right).

He also met with many Italian Fighting Fantasy fans and was even presented with an award for Best Foreign Gamebook.

Sir Ian's award for Best Foreign Gamebook.

Are YOU tough enough to survive attacks by Allansia's most dangerous and deadly assassins?

Tin Man Games have confirmed that the next Fighting Fantasy gamebook to receive the Fighting Fantasy Classics makeover will be Assassins of Allansia, written by Sir Ian Livingstone.

After accepting a challenge to survive on Snake Island, a nightmare unfolds when a bounty is placed on your head. Beware the ruthless assassins hellbent on hunting you down - but who are they? Where are they? Trust no one...

First published in 2019, this new digital version of Assassins of Allansia uses Karl Kopinski's cover that appeared on the limited edition hardbacks launched at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, and interior illustrations by Krisztián Balla, that featured in the Hungarian edition of the book, published by Chameleon Comix.

Features include:

• Make the gamebook as easy or as hard as you like and even turn on a special 'Free Read' mode to play the book like an old-school cheater!
• Map feature makes it easy to keep track of everywhere you have explored during current and previous playthroughs.
• Unlimited Bookmarks allow you to revisit difficult sections as many times as desired.
• Licensed artwork form Karl Kopinski and Krisztián Balla.
• Automated Adventure Sheet that keeps track of your stats, inventory and knowledge gained during your journey.

So don't delay, and download Assassins of Allansia today. Just remember... trust no one!

What's in a name?

The Fighting Fantasy gamebooks are memorable not only for their monsters and exciting plots, but also for the imaginative names Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone came up with for important characters and, of course, the villains who populate their adventures.

Yaztromo, Balthus Dire, Zharradan Marr, Zanbar Bone, and, more recently, Urzle Ironface.

Urzle Ironface, by Robert Ball.

As you approach the main gates, a giant bare-chested man with bulging muscles steps out from behind the jail to stand in your way. His body is covered in jagged scars, and he makes no attempt to hide the silver scorpion pendant hanging on a silver necklace around his neck. He is wearing an iron helmet which completely covers his face and he is armed with a large battle-axe and shield. "I've been waiting for you," he growls slowly in a deep voice.

Without giving too much away, in case you haven't already read Ian Livingstone's latest Fighting Fantasy adventure, Urzle Ironface is one of the characters you can encounter in Assassins of Allansia.

Of course, with a name like that, it is hardly surprising that he has inspired artists who work in not just two dimensions, but also those who work in three.

Urzle Ironface, by Krisztián Balla (from the Hungarian language edition of Assassins of Allansia.)

Urzle Ironface, by Dan Mark of Atlantis Miniatures...

...and as painted by Paul Cooke of Pandemonium Miniatures.

Do you have a favourite character, good or evil, from the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series? If so, why not let us know in the comments below?

Fighting Fantasy at the UK Games Expo 2021

The UK Games Expo 2021 is taking place all this weekend - from Friday 30th July to Sunday 1st August - at the NEC on the outskirts of Birmingham in the UK and Ian Livingstone is there.

Ian is exhibiting at Stand 2-T95 where he will have the very-hard-to-get-hold-of-hardbacks of Assassins of Allansia for sale. He will also be signing his other Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

You will find him sandwiched between artist Ralph Horsley and Atlantis Miniatures, producers of the Fighting Fantasy Legends figures.

Click on the image above to enlarge it.

On Friday afternoon, at 5:30pm, Ian will be giving his 'Life is a Game' talk, and on Saturday evening, at 6:00pm, Ian will be leading The Dark Room's John Robertson into the infamous City of Thieves!

If you're attending the UK Games Expo 2021 this weekend, do stop by Stand 2-T95 and say hello.