Elfquest (role-playing game)

Elfquest is a tabletop role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1984. Based on Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest series of comics, this Basic Role-Playing game was written by Steve Perrin, Sandy Petersen, and Yurek Chodak.

Elfquest
Elfquest (first edition, boxed set)
published by Chaosium in 1984.
Illustration by Wendi Pini.
Designer(s)Steve Perrin
Sandy Petersen
Yurek Chodak
Publisher(s)Chaosium
Publication date1984
Genre(s)Fantasy
System(s)Basic Role-Playing

Contents

The first edition boxed set contains:

  • A contents sheet.
  • Elfbook : information for the players, character creation, game system, skills, elf magic, combat.
  • Worldbook : gamemaster information, creatures, three scenarios and Elfquest world background.
  • World of Two Moons Map : the world of Elfquest.
  • Sample Of Play.
  • Reference Sheets.
  • Character Sheets: for elves and trolls.
  • Dice: 3D6 and 2D20.

Miniatures

Ral Partha released 25 mm miniature figures for Elfquest:

  • Wolfriders I. Four standing and four riding elves and four wolves in two different poses.
  • Journey to Sorrow's End. Six standing adults, two children, and a horse and rider.[1]
  • Personalities. Seven humanoids and the very large serpent Madcoil, was described as follows: "These figures are charming and offer a welcome change from the usual historically-inspired figures. The difference is between sword-and-sorcery and heroic fantasy, between an age of iron and an age of stone and bronze."[1]

Publication history
  • Elfquest (1984 first edition box)[2]
  • The Elfquest Companion (1985). Included random character generation tables, and was included in the paperback second edition.[3]
  • The Sea Elves (1985). Noteworthy for introducing information and art provided by the Pinis describing the Sea Elf tribe long before they appeared in any of the comics.
  • Elfwar (1987). Contained several adventures outside of the comic-book continuity.
  • Elfquest (1989 second edition book)

Both the role-playing game and the comics themselves have sprung a number of online games (mostly MUSHes).

Reception

Murray Writtle reviewed Elfquest for White Dwarf #60, giving it an overall rating of 9 out of 10, and stated that "This is really the nicest RPG I have seen to give someone as a present. It would suit especially a new player or the parents of young children, who will undoubtedly love the elves wholeheartedly, but also any player who really cares about The Story."[4]

Elfquest did not sell nearly as well as hoped. Sandy Petersen, who worked at Chaosium at the time Elfquest was developed, blames this on it being given to the same developer as the new edition of Runequest which was being worked on at the same time, which resulted in Elfquest being used as a 'test bed' for complex mechanics that were going to be used in Runequest. Petersen speculates that the resulting game was much more complex than fans of the Elfquest comics were likely prepared for.[5]

Reviews

References
  1. Barton, William A. (Nov–Dec 1984). "Capsule Reviews". Space Gamer. Steve Jackson Games (71): 59.
  2. Perrin, Steve; Petersen, Sandy; Chodak, Yurek (1984). Elfquest, the Official Rolep!aying Game (1 ed.). Box 6302, Albany, CA 94706-0302.: Chaosium.CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. review of Elfquest Companion by Steve Perrin on rpg.net
  4. Writtle, Murray (December 1984). "Open Box". White Dwarf. Games Workshop (Issue 60): 12.
  5. Petersen, Sandy. "discussion thread on rpggeek.com"
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