Today’s question: What is the 2nd RPG you bought?
It was MAELSTROM, a reasonably obscure release from the early days, written by (then teenager) Alexander Scott and released by Puffin Books in 1984 as part of the same line as the Fighting Fantasy game books and such like. Maelstrom was set in a vaguely 16th/17th century milieu, and featured nobles, mercenaries, priests and the like; not to mention herbalists and folks who could work magic to shift the world to their own liking. Sort of a proto-Lamentations of the Flame Princess, I guess.
As a book format game, it had the benefit of being sold in my local newsagents/stationers shop Stewart Millers, which is where I saw the tremendous cover and had to buy the game/book.
To be fair, I only ran combat trials with it a couple of times, and don’t think I ever ran it as an actual game, but I remember it fondly. Great setting, interesting magic system, very dangerous combat.
The whole thing has expanded since then and all of it is still available in PDF format for anyone interested in something a bit different.
Way back then I had the benefit of being part of a group that owned a lot of RPGs, so I mostly just had to turn up. Aside from some AD&D bits and bobs, I think the next RPG I bought after Maelstrom was probably Cyberpunk 2020 in 1988. Or maybe Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in 1986? I could be wrong. It’s so long ago I can’t remember half of what we played.
