The Compleat Crusader Vol. 2, Issues 6-10
RPG Magazine by Troll Lord Games
The Crusader Journal issues 6-10
The Crusader, Journal of Intrepid Adventure, is a magazine designed by the folks here at TLG. Its foundations lie in the early Seeker Zine and earlier issues of the Crusader, which combined gaming philosophy with humor, tips and pointers for the community as a whole.
These journals, published periodically by Troll Lord Games, chronicle the growth, the history, the ins and outs of RPGs like no other can. Articles from the Game Masters of yore, to the new designers of the games we love, there will be something for everyone in these journals.
Original Ad Copy for The Crusader Journal Issue #6
Crusader brings its readers a plethora of useful articles, game design notes and game tips from the best in the biz! More than just another gaming magazine, Crusader offers fiction, poetry and spotlights artists of great repute as well as those of little renown. Regular features include: “How is All Happened” by Gary Gygax, here Mr. Gygax takes us back on the long journey of the history of TSR and his involvement in it. “Historical Footnotes,” a column that explores the myths surrounding historical events, persons, places and things; “Auld Wyrmish,” where Mike Stewart opens pages to the nostalgic past; “Hammer and Anvil,” gives room for Casey Canfield to bring you the hard earned tips of a veteran gamer.
- Marshal of the Crusade Stephen Chenault brings you the lastest Alea iact est: “Its All in the Hunt. Running games that pit C&C characters against time and deadly foes.”
- Gary Gygax’s How it All Happened: Gary continues his account of the origin of the role playing games we’ve all come to know and love!
- Historical Footnotes: Stephen Chenault relates some tales of the early days of TLG with a few notes on where the company is going.
- The Angry Gamer: Who is the Angry Gamer and Why is he so Angry?
- Special Features: Davis Chenault, co-creator of Castles and Crusades, gives us a birds eye view of the stunning and deadly dangerous World of Inzae.
- Fiction: The Minstrels Tale continues with Chapter 3: The Winter of the World
Original Ad Copy for The Crusader Journal Issue #7
Crusader brings its readers a plethora of useful articles, game design notes and game tips from the best in the biz! More than just another gaming magazine, Crusader offers fiction, poetry and spotlights artists of great repute as well as those of little renown. Regular features include: “How is All Happened” by Gary Gygax, here Mr. Gygax takes us back on the long journey of the history of TSR and his involvement in it. “Historical Footnotes,” a column that explores the myths surrounding historical events, persons, places and things; “Auld Wyrmish,” where Mike Stewart opens pages to the nostalgic past; “Hammer and Anvil,” gives room for Casey Canfield to bring you the hard earned tips of a veteran gamer.
- Special Feature – Great Hits and Terrible Misses: A Critical Hit System for Castles & Crusades By Jeffrey Talanian
What are critical hits and fumbles. Jeffrey explores it all and supplies some cool user-friendly charts to boot! - Special Guest – Joe Goodman! Why I got into the Game Industry. This one you gotta reads!
- New! Trolls at Work a comic by Jason Walton and Steve Chenault
- How it All Happened: Variety is the Spice by E. Gary Gygax. Gary’s early library offered inspiration for Gary’s untutored mind and he enters the wild world of radio and movies and unleashes a love for adventure . . . .
- Alea iacta est or The Die is Cast: A Long Note on Brevity by Stephen Chenault. Brevity is the forgotten hero of our genre. Chenault takes a look at the follies of the industry’s adjectocrats.
- Hammer & Anvil: Campaign Settings Part I by Casey Cannfield. Casey begins the long walk on how to create your own workable and functioning campaign setting.
- Aihrdian Chronicles (Fiction): The Poverty of Want by Stephen Chenault. Prince Lothian finally meets the Fair Lady of Gilgum and his quest is given more purpose and direction as he learns of the Dreaming.
- Keeper’s Notes: Wasting Time by Davis Chenault. Separating time from action in the world of the characters can be both challenging and fun.
- The Convention Blog of Steve Chenault and the Angry Gamer and more….
Original Ad Copy for The Crusader Journal Issue #8
The Crusader™ is a Journal dedicated to games and the gamers who play them. Within its pages lie a plethora of articles that touch upon many of our common interests. Though each issue sports at least one ‘crunchy’ bit rules article for Castles & Crusades and/or Gary Gygax’s Lejendary Adventure, the magazine’s focus is much more broad. The Journal offers articles that range from the common and simple “How To” articles, to advice, fiction, poetry, humor, art and more. Feature articles include the following:
What’s Inside:
- Special Feature – Dungeon Building 101 – By Robert Doyel. An introduction to dungeon building as presented by the author of the recently released Engineering Dungeons.
- Special Guests – James Ward and Frank Mentzer. Jim and Frank take a moment to remember Gary Gygax
- Comics! Trolls at Work a comic by Jason Walton and Steve Chenault, Snits from Tom Wham
- How it All Happened: Ghostly Happenings I by E. Gary Gygax. Young Gygax has his first spiritual encounter of the ghostly kind when poltergeists haunt the attic above.
- Alea iacta est or The Die is Cast: Remembering Gary Gygax by Stephen Chenault. Steve remembers Gary Gygax, the origins of his first encounter and some thoughts on his parting.
- Auld Wyrmish: Creating High Level Characters on the Fly by Mike Stewart. This provides not only a system to create medium to high level characters for Castles & Crusades in a fast and simple manner, but also gives a quick system to give some background adventures to the character’s history as well. Yes, you rolled that your PC gets a +3 Longsword, but the system can also tell the player HOW the character got it.
- Hammer & Anvil: Campaign Settings Part II by Casey Cannfield. I take the concepts discussed in issue #7 and expand upon them, developing more details about the setting and fashioning elements to match my overall premise. I describe how I incorporate all of the different concepts into one main campaign theme.
- Keeper’s Notes: Running a Game by Davis Chenault. Playing Monsters and NPCs is a little more involved than you might think. That precious critical hit characters love so much goes both ways.
- The Convention Blog: GenCon By Stephen Chenault. Plunge into the maelstrom of the convention experience. Its as chaotic as memory serves.
Original Ad Copy for The Crusader Journal Issue #9
The Crusader™ is a Journal dedicated to games and the gamers who play them. Within its pages lie a plethora of articles that touch upon many of our common interests. Though each issue sports at least one ‘crunchy’ bit rules article for Castles & Crusades and/or Gary Gygax’s Lejendary Adventure, the magazine’s focus is much more broad. The Journal offers articles that range from the common and simple “How To” articles, to advice, fiction, poetry, humor, art and more. Feature articles include the following:
What’s Inside:
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- HOW IT ALL HAPPENED: Ghostly Happenings – by Gary Gygax
- ALEA IACTA EST: 4th Edition – by Stephen Chenault
- HAMMER & ANVIL: The Campaign Setting: Environs: Part I by Casey Canfield
- AN INTRODUCTION TO CARD MODELING: by Tom Tullis
- THE AIHRDIAN CHRONICLES: Of Trees and the Trolls by Stephen Chenault
- THE ANGRY GAMER: by Some Angry Troll Dude
- MOAT GATE A SAMPLER: by Don Mac Vittie
- THE DWEOMERCRAEFTER’S DEN: by Jeffrey P. Talanian with Gary Gygax edited by Gary Gygax
- MUSINGS FROM THE DEN: by Stephen Chenault
- SLIPPERY SLOPE: An Adventure for Levels 1-2 by Joe Damiani
- AULD WYRMISH: by Mike
Original Ad Copy for The Crusader Journal Issue #10
When Caesar stood upon the banks of the Rubicon looking south to Rome he hesitated. Before him stood the vast, complex mechanism of the past, glowing with a host of intricately woven stratagems. With him, he had but one legion, weary from 8 years of brutal war with the Gauls. But when called to surrender himself to the Senate and certain exile he did not hesitate. He called his legionaries to cross into Italy, to cross the Rubicon. And as he did so he said only this: Alea iacta est! The Die is Cast!
The Journal offers articles that range from the common and simple “How To” articles, to advice, adventures, free dungeon maps, new monsters, fiction, game review, humor, art and more.
Feature Articles
- How it All Happened, Ghostly Happenings: Gary Gygax reveals early encounters with only he knows what!
- Alea Iacta Est: 4th Edition: Stephen Chenault takes a long look at 4e, what it promises to be and what it can bring to the industry.
- Hammer & Anvil: The Campaign Setting Part 1: Casey Cannfield brings us the first overall look at what it takes to create a thriving campaign setting.
- Auld Wyrmish: Creating errata on the Fly: Mike Stewart gives us some working additions to his previous articles!
- NEW Adventure The Slippery Slope: Joe Damiani opens the shoot for us with this easy to run low level adventure for Castles & Crusades.
- Fat Dragon Games: Tom Tullis of Fat Dragon Games introduces us to the world of card modeling.
- Moat Gate: The world of Castle Zagyg grows with the city expansion books for the town of Yggsburgh! Find out what’s coming soon!
- Dweomercraefter’s Den: Jeffrey Talanian and Gary Gygax follow the ever unfolding history of this most famous castle Castle Zagyg.
- Musings from the Den: Stephen Chenault gives us a look inside what’s coming from the Troll Dens.
- Aihrdian Chronicles, Being the 9th Narrative: The Ineng Troll’s Tale. Following the words of the Fair Lady Prince Meltowg returns to the Blacktooth Ridge to unravel the riddle of the Ineng Tree.
- Trolls Revenge of the Skobbits: Cartoon by Jason Walton and Stephen Chenault
- Angry Gamer: Nomenclature, Its all in the name!
| Author(s) | Stephen Chenault, Michael Stewart, Davis Chenault, Casey Christofferson |
| Artist(s) | Jason Walton, Peter Bradley |
The Compleat Crusader Vol. 2, Issues 6-10 is available through DriveThruRPG in PDF.
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