Let’s talk about the Stormbringer RPG

[@slabbyfatback2272]

"Farewell, friend. I was a thousand more times more evil than thou!"

[@tbb4023]

Moorcock did NOT give the license to both Chaosium and TSR. TSR went to Moorcock personally and got his permission to use it in Deities & Demigods, maybe even just verbally. Chaosium went through proper channels and went through Moorcock's agent who was supposed to be the one handling it and got a written contract for the rights. That is why TSR caved immediately. Chaosium was very gracious and said TSR did not have to destroy the books and remove it if they agreed to put an acknowledgement in future printings. TSR chose to just remove it in future printings.

[@nicholasbielik7156]

That makes sense. I heard an interview with him where he said he gave “permission” which is different than giving the license I guess. I think Moorcock appreciated that both parties were small groups of were essentially fans doing creative stuff, but was dismayed when the legal wrangling happened even if it was resolved pretty amicably.

[@tedankhamenbonnah4848]

That's the edition I started with! Had 2 copies gaffed out from under me. I am writing a retrospective on the old game (1st to 3rd editions) on my blog, Tomb of Tedankhamen. Your video has given me lots of hints and memories. Cheers!

[@ElwoodShort]

I owned the GW edition [still intact] and played this with one group of players through a campaign and a few adventures. It was an absolute blast, so crazy so much fun, and easy to play. I wish I had been able to track down more sourcebooks for it at the time. Back then we rotated GM’s and systems/games so after that I sadly never switched back to it.

[@willinnewhaven3285]

"A sword so dirty that it's actually _black_" - Cerebus the Aardvark

[@trioofone8911]

You really should check out DCC RPG

[@coolintruddle]

Here's the story of my only interaction with the satanic panic: My mother was an Eucharistic Minister at the catholic church. She gave out the little bread discs at mass. I was 11, it was 1984. There was a book sale going on at the church and as I loved books (still do), I happily volunteered. As I was setting up a table I saw it. A shiny Red Box with the most awesome art I had ever seen on it. I asked my mom if I could get it. Another lady piped up saying no, I could not have it. She told me that it was going to get thrown out as 'inappropriate'. Mom pulled out the phb and glanced through the book. She then read the preface out loud. She handed me the box. That other lady's son became a regular at the weekly sessions in the church basement.

[@the-real-Lovefist]

We played this a lot back in the day when not playing Runequest 2nd edition.

[@ianoag]

I've got the Frank Brunner's Elric Portfolio with that King Grome illustration in it - It's also got a colour portrait of Elric which was also the Stormbringer RPG Box illustration

[@nicholasbielik7156]

Isn’t there also a painting of him standing over a certain person and howling in despair? I am pretty sure that was used as a color plate in the GW edition.

[@ianoag]

@@nicholasbielik7156 I'll have to have a look later

[@chriscotgrove9674]

Great video, Nicholas. So many fantastic memories of playing this with friends back in the day. I laughed out loud when you were talking about your friend's mother banning D&D but not having a problem with Stormbringer!

[@ianoag]

I pressed "like" almost immediately because it's awesome

[@raybarlow8823]

Moorcock, I loved his books- read the Stormbringer series several times, this brought back good memories of those times as a kid. Thank you!

[@nicholasbielik7156]

He's still going btw! New Elric book due the end of the year!

[@raybarlow8823]

@@nicholasbielik7156 Awesome! Thanks for the tip!

[@TonyPuleo1]

Very cool...I always liked this RPG, only played a handful times because all my gaming friends always leaned to AD&D...I would love to find an online group for this.

[@shitmandood]

That's how I first heard of Elric was from reading my old copy of Deities & Demigods back in the early to mid 80s.

[@Yobcis73]

Love this game - played 4th edition extensively, as the group was looking for an AD&D alternative. Being young, we got a real kick out of the Major Wound Tables. Great video :)

[@redrum3405]

It’s not DND mom, Im just claiming blood and souls for Arioch.

[@billybobsac4421]

“Hey niko,it’s your cousin Roman”,wanna go bowling?”

[@raybarlow8823]

Yeah, the good ole "satanic panic." My parents came down hard on me. They were religious after all. They watched Pat Robertson on the 700 Club. And those folks were saying D&D was demonic. So they had their priest come exorcize me, and then they poured lighter fluid on my collection of RPG books and lit it up.

[@nicholasbielik7156]

That's sounds awful. I read David Hajdu's book "The Ten Cent Plague" which is a book about the hysteria surrounding comic books in the 1950s, and there were tons of kids who went through something similar to what you're describing above except with their comics collections. It seems like this sort of things never goes away, they just find new targets. Ironically, many of the kids who lost their comics collections in this way became lifelong collectors trying to reclaim what they felt had been taken away from them.

[@raybarlow8823]

@@nicholasbielik7156 That's what I did, except with RPG's. Drive -thru RPG and Ebay made it easy to rebuild my collection, and then some.

[@windmark8040]

A classic game and setting for sure! I kinda wish Modiphius would maybe get the rights to make an updated version. I still have fond memories of my character fumbling his summoning and getting killed by an irritated pit-thing! Oh the desire for power!