The Fantasy Masters' Codex

[tomc]

While digging out (swiveling my chair and extending my arm) The Fantasy Masters' Screen, I came across my copy of The Fantasy Masters' Codex 1981.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Masters%27_Codex

I was disappointed when I got it. It was made from a dot matrix printout of roughly 60 pages of tables, monster stats, etc. Which sounds great, but the pages were numbered by section like this: 1,2,3,1,2,1,2,3,1,2,1,1,2,3,4 and so on. Not very helpful.

It did have a semi-useful index for Advanced Melee, Advanced Wizard, and ITL, but by that point I either knew the rule by heart or could find it faster by just picking up one of the rule books.

Now I expect when/if SJ Games releases the "big three", there won't be a need for such a product, but depending on how things go a short, condensed reference (more than a screen, less than the Codex) might be useful.

Does anyone else remember this?

[larsdangly]

Yah, that thing was useless.

[Jim Kane]

Yes, it was an attempt to compensate for not having a very good index or rules glossary - admirable idea, but a lack-luster execution.

If memory serves, the idea was that Metagaming (Games Research Group) would up-date the Codex every year, as new TFT products hit the market, and expanded rules/information was introduced into the system. However, the next thing anyone knew was that HT had suddenly folded up the Metagaming tent and went into "black-out" mode. Though you could occasionally catch HT outside of the Northcross Mall in Austin, promoting the Atheist Community of Austin; but from what I had heard, he would not answer any questions about Metagaming or TFT asked of him. Then he started showing up on Cable Access as a frequent guest host. There are some of the these episodes on YouTube from 1998-2000 for those of you who were always curious to learn what HT looks and sounds like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iikEhHUHAs The man who brought you Steve Jackson's:The Fantasy Trip... and then made it vanish into the abyss for 35 long years.

JK

[larsdangly]

The right solution to the need for an index in a book is to put an index in the book, not to publish another book that has indices for several books. I don't think I ever cracked the cover of this one after the first time I flipped through it.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

The right solution to the need for an index in a book is to put an index in the book, not to publish another book that has indices for several books. I don't think I ever cracked the cover of this one after the first time I flipped through it.

Hi all,
There was a Q&A section at the end which had some rules revisions. I copied the changes into my other books. I think that there also was a list of creature parts which could be sold, which was useful.

Rick

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

The right solution to the need for an index in a book is to put an index in the book, not to publish another book that has indices for several books. I don't think I ever cracked the cover of this one after the first time I flipped through it.

Well said LARS. TFT:ITL, AM, and, AW not having a decent index was something I recall SJ regretting and commenting on from way back; so, I would be surprised if he wasn't all over this for the re-edit.

JK

[Kirk]

I agree, an index would be useful if done properly. One thing not to do is what was done with the Index for Advanced Third Reich by Avalon Hill. It was put in *another* booklet!

Trying to hunt down another booklet to look up something in an index then having to go back to the original rules set to see if it helps is so ridiculous we cursed it every time we had to do it.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

Yah, that thing was useless.

Hardly.

I ran most of my FTF games from the 1981 FMC, leaving my books put away (and safe from greasy hands)... It had just about everything except the fluff-text.

I used post-its for important section references.

[Helborn]

To defend Bill Gustafson who put the The Fantasy Master's Codex together. I was a member of his group (though I joined too late to get my name added to the book). He was very disappointed that Metagaming simply took his printout and published it. He expected it to be either type set or retyped and be published in the same typeface as the rest of TFT. He saw his work as being part of a regular if not annual update with errata, new rules, etc., not as a stand-alone product

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by Helborn

To defend Bill Gustafson who put the The Fantasy Master's Codex together. I was a member of his group (though I joined too late to get my name added to the book). He was very disappointed that Metagaming simply took his printout and published it. He expected it to be either type set or retyped and be published in the same typeface as the rest of TFT. He saw his work as being part of a regular if not annual update with errata, new rules, etc., not as a stand-alone product

Thanks for sharing that bit of TFT publishing history, Helborn!

So sad about them just printing the dot-matrix printout!

I know a GM who thought the Codex was extremely valuable. I thought it was a frustrating mix that had some really useful clarifications and answers and a smidgin of new content, some useful condensations of data, but then also many pages I had practically no use for.

We too were hoping there would be more of them.