Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 46 views

    Mazes & Minotaurs: Questions & Answers About

    Uploaded by

    Tim Fox

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Mazes & Minotaurs: Questions & Answers About

    Uploaded by

    Tim Fox
    46 views1 page

    Original Title

    About_Mazes_&_Minotaurs.pdf

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    46 views1 page

    Mazes & Minotaurs: Questions & Answers About

    Uploaded by

    Tim Fox

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT

    MAZES & MINOTAURS


    1) Mazes & Minotaurs claims to be "the first roleplaying game ever published". Was it really
    released in 1972, two years before Dungeons & Dragons?

    No - at least not in our time continuum. The story about Mazes & Minotaurs being the first RPG is a fictional conceit
    not unlike the one found in Peter Jackson's faux documentary movie Forgotten Silver. This transparent 'hoax' is an
    essential part of the homage / pastiche aspect of the game - as is its title, which deliberately mimics those of early
    fantasy RPGs, including Dungeons & Dragons and Tunnels & Trolls. The whole Mazes & Minotaurs concept was
    invented by Paul "Mithras" Elliott in 2002, in an article called The Gygax-Arneson Tapes published on RPGnet ,
    which can still be found here. Also see the end of the present document for the detailed story of how this article
    gave birth to a real, complete and 100% playable game. Also see this page for a more detailed account on how the
    game came to be.

    2) Is Mazes & Minotaurs an OSR or retro-clone RPG?


    Since Mazes & Minotaurs was designed as a pastiche and homage to the first fantasy RPGs, it certainly has a
    strong 'old school' feel; as such, its rules deliberately include many elements which were inspired by various old
    school games, including Basic D&D, Tunnels & Trolls or Dragon Warriors - but it is not a retro-clone, since it has its
    own, original game mechanics. The best term to describe the retro elements of M&M would probably be neo-
    retro or faux retro (retraux?). As to the OSR, well, the first version of M&M was designed back in 2005, at a time
    when OSR was not recognized as an ‘official’, coherent (and named) concept but was already part of what we might
    call the gaming zeitgeist. In a typical instance of creative synchronicity, M&M came into existence roughly at the
    same time that the OSR took flight – so yes, I think we can see the game as part of the OSR movement.

    3) Is Mazes & Minotaurs just a hoax / parody game or is it really playable?

    Mazes & Minotaurs is a completely, genuinely, utterly playable RPG. Its simple, straightforward rules were designed
    to convey the "yahoo spirit" of early adventure RPGs, but with less emphasis on tactical simulation or so-called
    realism - the game does not require the use of maps or miniatures, for instance.

    4) Are there really two different versions of the game, the "1972 Original rules" and the "1987
    Revised rules"?
    The Original "1972" rules can be seen as the “white box” or alternate dimension equivalent of the original Dungeons
    & Dragons rules, while the "1987" Revised rules, with their three core books (Players Manual, Maze Masters
    Guide and Creature Compendium) are an obvious counterpart to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It
    should be noted, however, that the Revised M&M rules are much, much simpler than those of AD&D in any of its
    incarnations. The “Anniversary Edition” available on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow corresponds to the Revised
    version – but for all you diehard old schoolers, the 1972 version and its supplements can still be found here (but
    the Revised version is really, really better – with LOTS of adventures, supplements etc.).

    5) Are there any adventures available for Mazes & Minotaurs?

    Yes! Several Mazes & Minotaurs scenarios have been published in the Minotaur webzine... And then there is Tomb
    of the Bull King, a truly titanic 200+ page mega-module. And all this is completely FREE, like all the Mazes &
    Minotaurs stuff. All this stuff can be found on the original Mazes & Minotaurs website but will be re-issued (in one
    form or another) on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow as part of the Anniversary Edition.

    Scenarios will be released as adventure compilations – starting with INTO THE WOODS, which contains three
    starting adventures first published in the Minotaur webzine. The next compilations will be TALES OF THE MIDDLE
    SEA, AGAINST ATLANTIS and (yes) MORE TALES OF THE MIDDLE SEA…

    6) Is the game REALLY free?

    Yes. Everything is 100% FREE - no hidden fees, no subscription, no catch. SHIELD WALL!

    Olivier Legrand (2017)

    You might also like