Category: History
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How to run a Braunstein RPG
If you’re reading this, you probably already know a little about Braunstein’s role in the history of role playing games. But if you want to read more see Ben Robbins’s article and my list of Braunstein resources. There is no published ruleset for playing Braunstein (the book published by Olde House Rules uses the name…
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Rules to the Game of Dungeon Actual Play Report
Before he co-created Dungeon and Dragons, Dave Arneson spent years playing fantasy role playing games with his friends in the Minneapolis area in the early 1970s. Over time, the idea of playing simple simple dungeon-themed role playing games spread to other Minneapolis geeks. In 1974, 14 year old Craig VanGrasstek, who had never actually played…
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Braunstein RPG resources
Modern role playing games have many antecedents, from childhood games of Make Believe to parlor games like Wink Murder to war games like free Kriegsspiel and Diplomacy. But perhaps the most direct precursor to modern tabletop RPGs and LARPs were David A. Wesely’s Braunstein games. The first game of Braunstein took place in 1968 or…
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Running the First Ever 1970s Dungeon Crawl With Old School-Inspired Rules in 2017
Years before the original edition of Dungeons and Dragons was published in 1974, a wargamer named Dave Arneson decided to try something new. He and his friends were already dabbling in role playing, thanks to David Weseley’s wargaming/role playing hybrid game Braunstein. Inspired by Conan books and late-night horror movies, Arneson drew up a bunch…