-
Designers & Dragons: The '70s
- A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $34.97
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Designers & Dragons: The 80s
- A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry
- By: Shannon Appelcline
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Designers & Dragons: The '80s is a comprehensive picture of the growth of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 10,000 new words to this volume alone. Take an in-depth look at ’80s style gaming courtesy of companies like Steve Jackson Games and West End Games, plus an intro to the small (but mighty!) presses of the decade. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
-
-
Not For Everyone, But Perfect For What It Is
- By Rev. Zombie on 03-30-21
-
Empire of Imagination
- Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons
- By: Michael Witwer
- Narrated by: Sam Witwer
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The life story of Gary Gygax, godfather of all fantasy adventure games, has been told only in bits and pieces. Michael Witwer has written a dynamic, dramatized biography of Gygax from his childhood in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to his untimely death in 2008. Gygax's magnum opus, Dungeons & Dragons, would explode in popularity throughout the 1970s and '80s and irreversibly alter the world of gaming. D&D is the best-known, best-selling role-playing game of all time, and it boasts an elite class of alumni.
-
-
A Story of Bittersweet Successes
- By Sam on 11-16-16
By: Michael Witwer
-
Game Wizards
- The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons
- By: Jon Peterson
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success—and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
-
-
Nice and grounded
- By Anonymous User on 06-22-22
By: Jon Peterson
-
Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
- By: Michael E Shea
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master builds off of the concepts of the well-received GM's guidebook Lazy Dungeon Master, updating that book with five years of new experiences, new approaches, and new observations of the way people prepare and run RPGs. This new book is a completely self-contained work, which does not require anyone to have previously heard the Lazy Dungeon Master. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master offers a new focused approach for preparing and running our roleplaying games.
-
-
A fantastic resource for all GM's
- By Alex on 04-01-19
By: Michael E Shea
-
Of Dice and Men
- The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It
- By: David M. Ewalt
- Narrated by: David M. Ewalt, Mikael Naramore
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game’s roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game’s origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences.
-
-
Nerrrrrrrrrrd!
- By A. Listener on 12-28-15
By: David M. Ewalt
-
Elric of Melniboné
- Volume 1: Elric of Melnibone, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf
- By: Michael Moorcock, Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 24 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the '60s into one enduring archetype.
-
-
First reviewer ignorant there's a forward. Ignore.
- By Paul Black on 02-15-22
By: Michael Moorcock, and others
-
Designers & Dragons: The 80s
- A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry
- By: Shannon Appelcline
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Designers & Dragons: The '80s is a comprehensive picture of the growth of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 10,000 new words to this volume alone. Take an in-depth look at ’80s style gaming courtesy of companies like Steve Jackson Games and West End Games, plus an intro to the small (but mighty!) presses of the decade. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
-
-
Not For Everyone, But Perfect For What It Is
- By Rev. Zombie on 03-30-21
-
Empire of Imagination
- Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons
- By: Michael Witwer
- Narrated by: Sam Witwer
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The life story of Gary Gygax, godfather of all fantasy adventure games, has been told only in bits and pieces. Michael Witwer has written a dynamic, dramatized biography of Gygax from his childhood in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to his untimely death in 2008. Gygax's magnum opus, Dungeons & Dragons, would explode in popularity throughout the 1970s and '80s and irreversibly alter the world of gaming. D&D is the best-known, best-selling role-playing game of all time, and it boasts an elite class of alumni.
-
-
A Story of Bittersweet Successes
- By Sam on 11-16-16
By: Michael Witwer
-
Game Wizards
- The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons
- By: Jon Peterson
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success—and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
-
-
Nice and grounded
- By Anonymous User on 06-22-22
By: Jon Peterson
-
Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
- By: Michael E Shea
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master builds off of the concepts of the well-received GM's guidebook Lazy Dungeon Master, updating that book with five years of new experiences, new approaches, and new observations of the way people prepare and run RPGs. This new book is a completely self-contained work, which does not require anyone to have previously heard the Lazy Dungeon Master. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master offers a new focused approach for preparing and running our roleplaying games.
-
-
A fantastic resource for all GM's
- By Alex on 04-01-19
By: Michael E Shea
-
Of Dice and Men
- The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It
- By: David M. Ewalt
- Narrated by: David M. Ewalt, Mikael Naramore
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game’s roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game’s origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences.
-
-
Nerrrrrrrrrrd!
- By A. Listener on 12-28-15
By: David M. Ewalt
-
Elric of Melniboné
- Volume 1: Elric of Melnibone, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf
- By: Michael Moorcock, Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 24 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the '60s into one enduring archetype.
-
-
First reviewer ignorant there's a forward. Ignore.
- By Paul Black on 02-15-22
By: Michael Moorcock, and others
-
Your Best Game Ever
- By: Monte Cook
- Narrated by: Rudy Basso
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inside this audiobook, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider's look at everything that isn't part of the game rules - building chemistry for a gaming group that really clicks, making a character you will love and remember forever, running engaging and exciting games your players will always look forward to, creating thrilling adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting memorable game nights...and that's just for starters.
-
-
This guy has a really annoying voice.
- By Bwonsamdi on 03-10-20
By: Monte Cook
-
Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads!!!!
- The Unexpurgated Cyberpunk Referee's Guide
- By: Mike Pondsmith, Ross "Spyke" Winn, Benjamin Wright, and others
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six of the best and most opinionated cyberpunk referees gather together with creator Mike Pondsmith to bring their best advice on how to make your tabletop dark future game epic. How to start a campaign, how to handle problem players, how to use character background to generate story, and much, much more! So, grab your mirrorshades and your netrunner's deck, choomba, 'cause things are about to get real!
-
-
very nice!
- By Anonymous User on 08-10-21
By: Mike Pondsmith, and others
-
Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding
- By: Scott Hungerford, Jeff Grubb, Michael A. Stackpole, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The essential elements for building a world. Roleplaying games and fantasy fiction are filled with rich and fascinating worlds: the Forgotten Realms, Glorantha, Narnia, R'lyeh, Middle-earth, Barsoom, and so many more. It took startling leaps of imagination as well as careful thought and planning to create places like these: places that readers and players want to come back to again and again.
-
-
A must read for World Builders
- By John Koehler on 10-26-18
By: Scott Hungerford, and others
-
Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering
- By: Robin D. Laws
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Has your game got the blahs? Are your players spending more time thumbing through your book collection than hunting down clues, more energy heckling one another than in crushing their cruel foes? Never fear, o beleaguered Game Masters, for Robin D. Laws, noted game designer (Feng Shui, Hero Wars, Dying Earth, Rune) and columnist for Dragon magazine is here to help. Know your players! Analyze your system! Build your campaign! Design adventures! Prepare to be spontaneous, and improvise like a fiend!
-
-
Good stuff for simi experienced GMs
- By Anonymous User on 12-20-19
By: Robin D. Laws
-
Sly Flourish's The Lazy Dungeon Master
- By: Michael E. Shea
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You love Dungeons and Dragons. As an experienced dungeon master, you've run dozens, if not hundreds of games. You put a lot of work into making your games great. What if there's another way to look at how you prepare your game? What if it turned out you could spend less time and less energy and have a better game as a result? It's time to unleash the Lazy Dungeon Master.
-
-
Helpful tips for Dungeon Masters
- By Goblin Town on 05-02-16
By: Michael E. Shea
-
Sid Meier's Memoir!
- A Life in Computer Games
- By: Sid Meier, Jennifer Lee Noonan - contributor
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry.
-
-
Great!
- By Dylan Kelly on 03-30-21
By: Sid Meier, and others
-
Never Unprepared
- The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep
- By: Phil Vecchione
- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you're new to game mastering or have been running the same campaign since 1974, Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep will help you prepare for games faster, avoid common pitfalls, and have more fun in the process. Never Unprepared breaks game prep down into its component phases - Brainstorming, Selection, Conceptualization, Documentation, and Review - and provides the tools you need to make the most of each phase. If you hate prep, you'll find ways to make it more enjoyable.
-
-
This Book Changed My Prep!
- By Anonymous User on 09-26-20
By: Phil Vecchione
-
Kobold Guide to Gamemastering
- By: Keith Baker, David "Zeb" Cook, Monica Valentinelli, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decades of GMing experience! Whether it’s advice from grognards who were running games at the dawn of RPGs, or suggestions from the new generation of game designers, these 21 essays by experts are here to help you improve your GMing skills and create fun, amazing, memorable campaigns that’ll be talked about for years. In this audiobook, master GMs and storytellers give you advice about solo campaigns, shy players, cell phones, and making rulings on the fly.
-
-
a little too PC for me
- By Amazon Customer on 06-17-22
By: Keith Baker, and others
-
MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a follow-up strategy guide with MOAR! monster tactics for Dungeon Masters playing fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.
-
-
Did you like the first one? You’ll love this
- By brian on 01-04-22
By: Keith Ammann
-
Masters of Doom
- How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
- By: David Kushner
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to produce the most notoriously successful game franchises in history - Doom and Quake - until the games they made tore them apart. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry.
-
-
How it was
- By Ryan on 08-27-13
By: David Kushner
-
Slugfest
- Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC
- By: Reed Tucker
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first in-depth, behind-the-scenes audiobook treatment of the rivalry between the two comic book giants. They are the two titans of the comic book industry - the Coke and Pepsi of superheroes - and for more than 50 years, Marvel and DC have been locked in an epic battle for spandex supremacy. At stake is not just sales, but cultural relevancy and the hearts of millions of fans. To many partisans, Marvel is now on top. But for much of the early 20th century, it was DC that was the undisputed leader.
-
-
Loved it, but...
- By Smitty on 05-02-18
By: Reed Tucker
-
The Dying Earth
- By: Jack Vance
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The stories in The Dying Earth introduce dozens of seekers of wisom and beauty, lovely lost women, wizards of every shade of eccentricity with their runic amulets and spells. We meet the melancholy deodands, who feed on human flesh and the twk-men, who ride dragonflies and trade information for salt. There are monsters and demons. Each being is morally ambiguous: The evil are charming, the good are dangerous. All are at home.
-
-
A Decadent and Hopeful Dying Earth
- By Jefferson on 06-27-10
By: Jack Vance
Publisher's Summary
Designers & Dragons: The ’70s is a comprehensive picture of the beginnings of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 50,000 new words to this volume alone. Learn about the colorful history of TSR and the wave of D&D inspired games (and gaming companies) to follow, and dip your toes into war gaming trivia. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
2015 Gold ENnie Award Winner - Best RPG Related Product
"I could have easily finished everything in one go…and is, by definition, a must-buy for every role-player out there." (RPG.net)
"The book is impeccably researched and highly detailed, and author Shannon Appelcline has a knack for turning the history of each company and its people into a compelling narrative." (teleread.com)
What listeners say about Designers & Dragons: The '70s
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RAW-ATX
- 01-02-22
the forgotten realm of where RPGs arize
Listened with joy. The creative process in groups is on full display. this book teaches how to aim and hit the cultural spirit of the times. it shows how the dungeon crawl of papers and pay checks supports the underground RPG industrial complex.it is both campaign and seduction.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Richard Bat Brewster
- 03-23-21
Informative and detailed history of RPGs
The numerous interesting stories about the RPG hobby and industry. Great to have old stories confirmed, clarified, or revealed to be untrue, I learned lots of new things. For those that want a detailed overview, then I recommend this. I appreciate the information being placed into specific company histories with linked recommendations at the chapter end to make for a great approach. It also makes it easier to find information later, as opposed to being like say a history put in to a story/biography style. A high rating because it delivers on its goal and what I wanted. Clear audio, good pacing, a great performance.