The green AD&D books: when TSR tried to teach history
On Dragons' Lair I read a good article by Mortegro about a line many players have forgotten: the green AD&D 2nd edition books, TSR's Historical Reference series, seven manuals published between 1991 and 1994 that brought European and Mediterranean history to the gaming table.
Before them came the brown Complete Handbooks and the blue series for Dungeon Masters. Green was chosen by the designers, many of whom came from historical wargames. Each volume has 96 pages, a fold-out map and a green cover.
The list is curious. HR1 Vikings Campaign Sourcebook, by David "Zeb" Cook, introduces the berserker and runecaster classes, and takes lockpicking away from the thief because Scandinavian locks would have been crude. HR2 Charlemagne's Paladins, by Ken Rolston, is set in the Carolingian Empire. HR3 Celts, by Graeme Davis, brings geasa and heroic feats. HR4 A Mighty Fortress, by Steve Winter, covers 1550-1650. HR5 The Glory of Rome, by David Pulver, is according to its author the most satisfying of the series. Then come Age of Heroes, on Homeric Greece, and The Crusades, on the first three crusades.
The most recurring criticism is the distance between historical documentation and the table: the GM still has to invent a lot to turn a page of history into a session. The series stopped at seven volumes, apparently because it sold less than the brown and blue books, while TSR focused on strong settings like Dark Sun, Planescape and Birthright.
The author suggests plundering these pages, from gift tables to superstitions and omens, and starting with Vikings. A practical note that struck me: physical copies cost quite a lot, while the PDFs are cheap.
Source: Dragons' Lair
Before them came the brown Complete Handbooks and the blue series for Dungeon Masters. Green was chosen by the designers, many of whom came from historical wargames. Each volume has 96 pages, a fold-out map and a green cover.
The list is curious. HR1 Vikings Campaign Sourcebook, by David "Zeb" Cook, introduces the berserker and runecaster classes, and takes lockpicking away from the thief because Scandinavian locks would have been crude. HR2 Charlemagne's Paladins, by Ken Rolston, is set in the Carolingian Empire. HR3 Celts, by Graeme Davis, brings geasa and heroic feats. HR4 A Mighty Fortress, by Steve Winter, covers 1550-1650. HR5 The Glory of Rome, by David Pulver, is according to its author the most satisfying of the series. Then come Age of Heroes, on Homeric Greece, and The Crusades, on the first three crusades.
The most recurring criticism is the distance between historical documentation and the table: the GM still has to invent a lot to turn a page of history into a session. The series stopped at seven volumes, apparently because it sold less than the brown and blue books, while TSR focused on strong settings like Dark Sun, Planescape and Birthright.
The author suggests plundering these pages, from gift tables to superstitions and omens, and starting with Vikings. A practical note that struck me: physical copies cost quite a lot, while the PDFs are cheap.
Source: Dragons' Lair
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