This is Dicing With Dragons (1982), Games Workshop co-founder Ian Livingstone’s entry into the realm of RPG 101 textbooks.

This one hits most of the same notes as Holmes’ book, with a couple of notable exceptions. He focuses on four games – Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest, Traveller and Tunnels & Trolls – then supplements them with a roster of games currently available. Holmes doesn’t claim to mention every RPG on the market in his book, but nevertheless, the vastly larger number Livingstone mentions is a bit shocking. So many games!

Livingstone’s chapter on computer games is much longer and in depth which, considering the infancy of the microcomputer in popular culture in 1982, makes for interesting reading. There is also a chapter that goes over basic techniques for miniature painting. Both these chapters serve as an interesting crystal ball into Livingstone’s later career.

The real draw of the book, though, is the full solo adventure in the style of Fighting Fantasy, illustrated by none other than Russ Nicholson. I nearly dropped the book when I saw his art in it, I had no idea! Russ did spot illustrations throughout and, while the drawing for the solo adventure are what you’d expect, I find the rest to be looser and more playful than I am used to seeing from him. It is pretty cool.