Re: THE TSR INDIANA JONES GAMES

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: : : Hey guys, : : : We all know that MASTERBOOK (the same company that launched the very successful STAR WARS roleplaying games in 1988) has released in the last few years an INDY-based role playing game series... : : : But did you know that TSR, the company which dominated the role-playing market through the 1970's and 1980's with the legendary DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, also produced a limited INDIANA JONES role-playing series? : : : The games were brought about in 1984, coinciding with the release of TEMPLE OF DOOM (Tag line: "The hottest movie of 1984 is now the hottest game of 1984"). Unlike the MASTERBOOK games -- which are set more "in the world of Indiana Jones", rather than having players assume the identities of the actual MOVIE characters -- the TSR games required that people actually PLAY Indy or Marion, Toht or Belloq, during the course of the game... : : : Finding the games are difficult nowadays...and I even had trouble tracking them down when they were first released! Like the main MASTERBOOK guide for its series, you can't play any of the INDY adventure packs unless you had the resource manual. This makes the thing even more valueable. : : : The games were pretty good, featuring some very nice narrative writing and structure, as well as some very nifty paintings from the art department. What I enjoy more about the TSR series is that not only do you play Indy movie characters, but there were often sections of script dialogue the players had to read to each other. : : : Here is a complete list of ALL the TSR INDY game merchandise, listed in chronological order: : : : THE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES ROLE PLAYING GAME (released in 1984: serial #6570); this was the resource manual, containing the dice, the main character profiles, and a special intro game. TSR resorted to using many of the storylines featured in MARVEL COMICS' now-defunct THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES series for their storylines. Here the intro game was "The Icons of Ikammanen", which was based on the very first story of the INDY MARVEL COMIC series. : : : INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (released in 1984: #IJ1 6752); the game adaptation of the film. Lots of fold-outs, including a large diagram of the main Temple chamber. : : : RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (released in 1984: #IJ2 6751); the game adaptation of the film. Features nice color fold-outs of the Well of the Souls, the Airflield, etc... : : : INDIANA JONES -- CRYSTAL DEATH (released 1984: #IJ3 6753); also based on one of the MARVEL stories, feauring Indy and Marion running off and wrecking as much havoc on the Nazis as possible. : : : : : : INDIANA JONES -- JUDGE'S SURVIVAL PACK (released in 1985: serial #IJAC1 6754); this was not a game, but a game accessory featuring more cut-out models, "action flow charts", tables for roleplaying, etc... : : : INDIANA JONES -- THE GOLDEN GODDESS (released in 1985: #IJ4 6755); This was designed as a special "solo adventure" pack, whereby one person would use a special red-filter viewfinder and play both the referee and Indy at the same time (dare I say, "play with himself?")...this was ALSO based on a MARVEL COMICS series storyline, dealing with how Indy tracks down and finds (again) the IDOL that he lost to Belloq in the beginning of RAIDERS. : : : INDIANA JONES -- NEPAL NIGHTMARE (released in 1985: #IJ5 6756); This was a role-playing game inspired by the MARVEL COMICS "Search for Abner" story, in which Marion and Indy discover a Shangri-La in the Himilayan Mountains were Marion's father had disappeared before the events of RAIDERS. : : : Unfortunately, these were the only titles TSR produced. I guess they didn't catch on like they should have. Anyway, TSR also produced a VERY rare boxed set of pewter INDY figures, including INDY, MARION, SALLAH, WILLIE, SHORT ROUND, BELLOQ, TOHT, MOLA RAM, and THUGGEE WARRIOR... : : : ...and I was NEVER able to buy these! I only learned about them recently at a convention, where one Indy collector showed them to me...and wouldn't sell them. : : : Well, I hope you guys find this information useful. : : : : : Here is the list in order, as designated by the reference number at the top of each module: : : The Adventures of Indiana Jones Roleplaying Game : : IJAC1: Judge's Survival Pack- Hints on how to randomly create ruins and characters, Judge's Screen, etc : : IJ1: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom : : IJ2: Raiders of the Lost Ark : : IJ3: Indiana Jones: Crystal Death : : IJ4: Indiana Jones: The Golden Goddess : : IJ5: Indiana Jones: Nepal Nightmare : : IJ6: Indiana Jones: The Fourth Nail : : The Fourth Nail was the only one not mentioned in the previous post. It was a story about a group of Gypsies that had one of the nails used to pin Jesus to the cross and was mostly set in Spain. I have all of the above except for Nepal Nightmare. Like the poster said before, you actually got to play a central character in the series, including Indy himself. but this l;ed to some problems with carrying over characters from one story to another. But a good gamemaster (or Judge) could tailor the story to fit a campaign if he tried. It was an excellent role-playing game, and I wish it had been more successful. If you can get your hands on this, its definitely worth it. I wish I could find a new one because the box and books are falling apart. : WOW! Thanks...I didn't have any idea about the FOURTH NAIL game, but thanks to this nice message board by Micah, other Indy fans can illuminate ME as well with their know-how... : I'm afraid, like you, that my own TSR materials are falling apart. I collected them when I was in my pre-teens, and at that age and time, you are most interested in playing them than in regarding them as collector's items for the future... : THE FOURTH NAIL was also a storyline placed within issues #11 and #12 of the MARVEL COMIC series. : Well, since I'm on the subject, if anyone else happens to have THE FOURTH NAIL game, or the pewter TSR figurines, I'd be interested in buying them for a good price. (I doubt I'll get any offers, since most of you probably cherish whatever INDY goods you have.) : henryjns3@aol.com

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