Warlock Magazine #1

I'm back from the Christmas hiatus, with a look at the first issue of Warlock magazine.  This is significant, at least to me, because as a kid I had no idea that Warlock ever existed.  Everything I've covered for the blog so far has been heavily tinged with nostalgia, and fond childhood memories.  I'm reading Warlock magazine for the first time ever, so I feel like my opinions will be a little more objective.

Before I delve in, though, it's time to hit the Wikipedia highlights.  For those who haven't heard of it, Warlock was a magazine co-published by Games Workshop and Penguin that covered fantasy gaming, with a focus on gamebooks and Fighting Fantasy in particular.  It lasted for 13 issues, running from 1983 to 1986.  I see that it was published in Australia, but I would have missed it because my FF fandom didn't begin until 1988, well after it ceased publication.  I'm surprised to see that Warlock continued in Japan until 1997.  I'd be interested to find out just what that magazine covered.  (Further research shows that there are conflicting dates as to the last issue of Warlock.  Wikipedia puts it at 1997, citing the official Fighting Fantasy website.  The FF wiki puts the date at March 1992, and gives more concrete information.  I'm far more inclined to believe the latter.)

Alright then.  Warlock issue #1.

One Step Beyond: The Origins of Fighting Fantasy: I had expected this article to reveal the process that led to the creation of the FF series, but there's not much of that here at all.  What this really is is a short history and explanation of Dungeons & Dragons, written with the goal of turning gamebook readers into tabletop gamers (and Games Workshop customers, presumably).  Ian Livingstone's Dicing With Dragons gets a mention, as does the upcoming Fighting Fantasy: The Introductory Role-Playing Game.

Out of the Pit: This article was written by Ian Livingstone, and it introduces four monsters, three of which will later be used in his own gamebooks.  The first such monster is the SENTINEL, an animated creature used to guard treasures.  It was first created by Baron Kognoy of Kaypong, a province to the east of Fang.  He hired a wizard to create a potion that could be sprinkled over any gem or metallic object: when touched by bare flesh, the item would transform into a warrior composed of the same substance (the item could, however, be safely handled with silk gloves).  The potion became so popular that Baron Kognoy started selling it, doing a roaring trade.  BIRD MEN are pretty much what it says on the tin, bird-like men who live in rocky crags and attack humans that pass by.  EARTH DEMONS are spirits that dwell beneath the ground, rising up to attack those who step on them.  They draw their strength from contact with the ground, and can be more easily defeated is separated from this source.  There's a rudimentary origin story about them being created by an alchemist spilling his chemicals.  The MESSENGER OF DEATH is the most interesting of the four: a soulless assassin with hollow eyes and a mouth filled with slime.  They sentence their victims to death by tapping them on the shoulder and whispering the word "death".  Then they hide the letters of that word along the victim's path, and if the victim reads all of those letters the Messenger will show up to drain his life force.  It's possibly the least effective assassination method there is, but at least it has character.

How To Map: This is a short article with tips on mapping gamebooks, and some symbols that can be used to represent various dangers.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain part 1: This is the centrepiece of the issue: a reprint of the first half-or-so of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.  I was prepared to skim this one, until I discovered to my delight that it's slightly different to the original.  The keys have all been moved to completely different places, and some new treasures have been added where the keys were.  I'm looking forward to digging into this one, so look for it in my next post.

And now, for the piece de resistance...  the very first map of Allansia!

Click to embiggen.

This is a thing of beauty, even if it doesn't quite match up with the maps that will come later.  Not only does it show the locations of Book 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, but it details some areas not yet introduced.  Appearing here for the first time: the Desert of Skulls, Anvil, the Pagan Plain, Whitewater River and the Icefinger Mountains.  I'm pretty sure that this is the first time the Moonstone Hills get named, and I'd bet the same for the Red River.  Maps will eventually become one of the coolest parts of the series, and this is the first (except for the rubbish one in Forest of Doom, which doesn't count).