Welcome to Applied Phantasticality

This is the first entry of Applied Phantasticality, my Web log devoted primarily to the "Old School Renaissance" (or OSR) faction of the role-playing game hobby. My first exposure to role-playing was the Monster Manual of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition, and by exposure I mean I looked at the illustrations and failed to comprehend the stats. My first role-playing experience was with the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set edited by Tom Moldvay and the Expert Set edited by David Cook (collectively known nowadays as Basic/Expert D&D or just B/X D&D). This was quickly followed by a transition to AD&D 1st Edition (by which time the stats in the Monster Manual made perfect sense). Over the years, my collection has expanded to over 100 role-playing games, and I have an especial fondness for various incarnations of Basic Role-Playing and Fudge. Most of my gaming articles for all sorts of games, role-playing and otherwise, are published in [the late] Fudgery.net/fudgerylog, but I decided that it would be a good thing, dare I say a Lawful Good thing, to start a Web log with a narrow focus on the game that was my gateway to the hobby, as well as those games (such as Labyrinth Lord) that have rekindled the flame of the hobby's first spark of glory. These games, often referred to as "retro-clones," have revitalized that form of gaming that was prevalent when I first started gaming, which is a very good thing from the standpoint of this diehard gamer.

In the course of this Web log I intend to do my modest part to contribute to the old school community that has been so incredibly generous with its time and creativity.

Game on.