RPG Retro Review : Thieves World

This week I take a look at a classic boxed set release from Chaosium. Unique in that in contained the stats from every popular fantasy RPG of the day, it has never been duplicated.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Patreon Page: www.patreon.com/captcorajus
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PayPal Tipjar: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9G6D9LWVGZKB6&source=url
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facebook: Dungeons and Dragons RPG Reviews: groups/rpgretroreviews/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[@33TimberWolf]

I was a kid in the 1970's and my folks had the bright idea to drive coast-to-coast from Boston to San Francisco in '76. I couldn't drive yet, so Thieves World was my only source of entertainment for six weeks of summer. Loved those books and the mythology of that fantasy world.

[@freddaniel5099]

My favorite play aid ever. The cover art sold me on the product immediately and the material inside is nothing but awesome. This product illustrates just how good Chaosium was during this era. Thanks for giving TW some much deserved credit.

[@ronniejdio9411]

Robert Aspin was extremely underrated. influencial beyond comprehension

[@RobertoMicheri]

I own the original boxed set which I got at a garage sale for $10 in 1987.

[@kurgon1976]

"Older players will need to use their glasses." - You cut me deep sir. lol. Love your channel man, keep up the great work I'm a fan!

[@captcorajus]

I only say that because I'm using my glasses to read it. lol

[@GasFayce]

This one needs a Kickstarter campaign!

[@captcorajus]

Definitely!!

[@NoWay1969]

I had this box set as a child. I remember it being one of the best put together boxed sets that I've seen.

[@tackle47]

Played in and ran this in both AD&D and Runequest. A superb setting and product.

[@warrenokuma7264]

I've ran this in Traveller and The Fantasy Trip and had a blast! Keep up the good work!

[@markgregory3213]

Thanks especially for this review! Love Thieves World and sorely miss my copy.

[@BTsMusicChannel]

Woah! Forgot about this one! I remember the ads for it in Dragon back in the days. I am really inspired by Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd & Grey Mouser stories, and am always looking for examples of city/town maps with some development of the sites in the city and their inhabitants for more ideas. Thanks!

[@greendaylover318]

Always glad to see an upload!

[@Dracopol]

I know nothing about the Thieves' World setting, but Chaosium Inc. doesn't mess around when designing games. Their intuitive percentile-skill system, Basic RolePlaying, should be better-known. They generously provided stats in many game systems of the time. For Basic RolePlaying (BRP), download their 48-page quickstart for free here: www.chaosium.com/basic-roleplaying/ But the cover of RuneQuest you showed did not exist then. That's the 3rd-edition boxed set actually published by Avalon Hill. Chaosium also did a loving detailed treatment of Larry Niven's RINGWORLD SF novels (there were only 2 at the time) to make the Ringworld RPG.

[@richmcgee434]

Agreed on all particulars. BRP should be immensely popular, and weirdly isn't. Still, it's the core engine of Call of Cthulhu as well as many other games over the years, so a lot of people have played minor variants of it even if they've never heard the name.

[@Tysto]

Wow, that pic of the rogues in the tavern really takes me back. Thanks!

[@paulprecour3636]

White Dwarf (before they became an exclusive house organ for Games Workshop) used to include stats for D&D, Chaosium, Traveller, Runequest, Tunnels & Trolls and (God help me...) Chivalry & Sorcery as well for their printed scenarios.

[@captcorajus]

Yes, I remember those days!

[@swirvinbirds1971]

Great stuff as always! I read all the Thieves Worlds novels and a couple of the standalone novels with Shadowspawn... Loved the way the authors messed with each other's characters. Never played the RPG adaption so really cool to check it out. Thanks!👍

[@darrenp9454]

I have this somewhere in storage. Good times.

[@fuzer909]

Me too somewhere, along with some Paladium books.

[@mickikaufman5360]

That organ jam starts and I’m like, “old school rpg time!” Thanks for another great nostalgia fest, capn!

[@Antdevamp]

Great review, the later books and supplements from Green Ronin were amazing but clearly some tone was lost. Useful for anyone really. I had a friend who owned these books but WOW I missed the adventures. The hunt begins!

[@Arcboltkonrad13]

After a long and fairly bad day, this really lifts my mood! Thank you!

[@yvindheilo229]

Many thanks Captain, for keeping introducing me to all this RPG goodness from the past and present! This was a great addition to a rainy day!

[@HowtoRPG]

It warms my heart when I see another one of your videos.

[@southron_d1349]

I always pronounced the Prince's name as "Kadda-kee-this". "Thieves' World" had a mixed review at the time, so I never bought it. Something I regret to this day. Shadowspawn, One Thumb, Lythande and many others are superb characters. The stories are great fun and I incorporated elements of them in a short Greyhawk campaign. The Vulgar Unicorn replaced Greyhawk's Green Dragon Inn. I'd prefer to run a Lankhmar campaign but Thieves' World isn't far behind. Maybe one day...

[@captcorajus]

Why not both? Yes... both is good!

[@southron_d1349]

@@captcorajus I'm in three campaigns as a player at the moment. Beause of my wife's long illness (she passed away last month), friends have been helping to maintain my sanity by running games. It's been wonderful from that perspective. But I'm champing at the bit to run again. For one group, it'll be "Ghosts of Saltmarsh". Without meaning to gezump your review, I think it's the best campaign WotC have done, perhaps apart from "Curse of Strahd". People have complained about the details added to the U-series, which I find silly. The originals told you to make everything up - the details of the town, the NPCs etc. That's great for an experienced DM but lousy for the newbie. The new take on the town adds a lot without being overwhelming (just take notes, folks!) and the five additional adventures make it less of the dungeon bash as I remember it. I've already added complications such as Hags. The other group will suffer as 0-level PCs and "The Keep on the Borderlands" with the notion of Chaos played up in the "Caves of Chaos". Not sure about the third group. Given the one-shots lately to cover a player's absence due to holidaying, and the fact all the PCs are members of the Watch, it may be a Lankhmar campaign. Somehow, thievery has caught their interest and imagination.

[@Dracopol]

Didn't you see the box? Cha-o-si-um. Your tip-off that it was quality...

[@southron_d1349]

True enough. But mixed reviews, plus the fact there was only my cousin and me playing AD&D back then meant it didn't get over the line. A very different matter now.

[@ronniejdio9411]

@@southron_d1349 before you run keep on the borderlands watch dungeoncraft youtune channel campaign videos

[@Silversmith70]

Ahhhh yes. I am so glad to hear the intro music. Its been kind of a weird week, this is exactly what I needed right now. For 16 and 1/2 minutes, I will be in D&D, yes!

[@Dracopol]

Including Traveller SF RPG stats makes total sense! As you randomly generate planets with six-sided dice, some may turn out with a low Technology rating. The planet may somehow be linked to interstellar trading networks but the local government may segregate the starport and ban the importation of technology. But if trader characters still want to trade, they'll don local garb and go out to the town and bring swords and knives only. "TV? Justin Bieber music? We don't want to hear about that stuff, stranger! What have you got to trade for our ore, our wool, or our lumber? We've also got these worthless rocks in lead coffers that make miners sick if they handle them too much!" If your players are hungry enough, if the starship mortgage payment is coming up and there's a planet only a few parsecs away paying top credit for resources, the players will take their chances in Sanctuary!

[@SirMillz]

Another good revive from the Captain!

[@ctvtmo]

Wow, I bought the original TW box set back in the day (and still have it!) but I had no idea the background behind it. What a great review!

[@MoondragonsEyrie]

My favorite all time game setting. I am currently running a Pathfinder game in it. Loved your video and the telling of how the setting came about.

[@ronosborne6855]

I have read the original book for sure, and I think I made it up to third book, but that was so long ago I can fully recall. I also had a DM who had the box set and ran an adventure in the setting. I had a halfling fighter who was persistently being mistaken for a thief. Still one of my favorite characters of all time. I have come across a PDF of the box set but am sad that a more ethical means of acquiring it is not available. That being said, as I am greatly considering building a campaign world for use with some combination of OSRIC and For Gold and Glory, the city of Sanctuary will exist within my world in some form or function.

[@bjornh4664]

I read the anthologies back in the day, and was mesmerized by the original cover artwork. While I began playing in late 1982, I never got around to buy the box set, something regretted later on. I found the box set on eBay about three years ago. Paid about $50 + shipping from Australia to the other side of the world (Sweden). One of the FASA adventures was included. I hope to spring the depraved city of Sanctuary on my players one day...

[@CaptCook999]

I've read all the books but never played the RPG. It was a great series and I recommend it to everyone.

[@biffstrong1079]

I read the first Thieves World Compilation which was by far the best and then quite a few of the follow ups. It was interesting. We tried playing the Thieves World Game but were not entirely successful. I believe we got taken out by an 11th level assassin wandering monster pretty early on. There was no specific adventures and our DM wasn't set up to organize something. Asprin organized the books. The First book was great but Poul Anderson , Joe Haldeman, and Marion Zimmer Bradley never returned after the first collection They also wrote stories that ended up killing characters which didn't mesh well with the serial nature of the later books. He did attract Janet Morris, CJ Cherryh, And David Drake . Always felt Fahrd and the Gray Mouser would have done well in this town.

[@chriscongemi2109]

I have had the books and box set since they came out. Just ran a campaign using the box set. Much Fun!!

[@udasu]

Thanks for the content, Cap! Your research was great and educational for me. I had no idea about Thieves' World, most of its luminaries, or a lot of those other fantasy games.

[@blinddog4288]

Oh wow!!! I totally forgot about this.

[@tomooms1167]

Great! Now I have to buy the whole game just to get that MAP!

[@mlfetlesjdrenbref1306]

Wow! Such history behind this. Thanks for the info.

[@lindy9196]

Tempus and Shadowspawn kickin' ass & takin' names. Great series of books! Can't speak for the rpg, tho.

[@the-real-Lovefist]

I have the original box set from Chaosium. It’s great!

[@rob-brown]

Great stuff! Huge fan of Thieves' World. Thx Cap.

[@SupremeCleave]

I grabbed a copy on ebay NOS. Pretty slick!

[@tr349]

I loved the books. Never did get this supplement when it came I wish I had. Green Ronin also published a series of Thieves' World supplements for the d20 system, Never player d20 myself so I don't know how good the are, but Green Ronin usually did a good job on there series and Supplements at least in my Opinion.

[@mikepenhollow]

Own and have read the books many times. Love it

[@MHDebidour]

Wonderful review, thank you

[@sdev2749]

great summation - I have owned this since it first came out and still use it to this day

[@captcorajus]

Thanks! Me too. Phenomenal supplement, and amazing piece of RPG history.

[@Johnny_Nitro]

My nerd senses were tingling... then low and beholder, a new video from the Captain. 5th woot! Hey Cap... why have you not posted anything to your community tab?

[@Murph_.]

Found it! Awesome! Thanks!

[@captcorajus]

Great! I was going to provide you with a link but i was on mobile when i answered you.

[@antytrend]

Great videos

[@potatopower2144]

This video is awesomeness

[@woodwwad]

I read the first two of these books. The first was okay but I thought the 2nd was fairly poor.

[@MrRourk]

Are you familiar with Haven the Free City by Game Lord's? It was for use with their Thieves Guild Game System witch was inspired by Thieves World Books.

[@michaelmartin4552]

I have to admit I enjoyed watching this, as I have very fond memories of this expansion and it was a major part of my campaigns. In fact, more times than I can count simply going into town to rest and recover would become yet another adventure that I had to make up on the spot and might continue for several sessions. However, you are incorrect when you say this is a unique and once only creation, as this is actually not original. The setting is original, but the actual charts involved in the random encounters inside the city are not. That is actually a licensed copy of "Cities", by Midkemia Press from 1979. And that is actually acknowledged in the copyright notice in the Game Master's Guide. And if that sounds familiar, it is because the world was that created by Raymond Feist for his "Magician" series of novels. Like Robert Asprin, he also was a player of D&D, and used it as a backdrop for many RPG supplements. And even though Thieves World is out of print, Cities is actually still available as a PDF from Midkemia Press.

[@goodlookingcorpse]

10:42 Varys from Game of Thrones.

[@fulminatus6241]

Any plans to review the old AD&D boxed sets like From the Ashes, City of Greyhawk, Planescape, etc?

[@Se7enBeatleofDoom]

Sounds like a great AD&D gritty fantasy setting with a lot of 5E dungeons and dragons being lacking.

[@mattnerdy7236]

Robert should have taken an aspirin. He tried to reinvent the wheel. You still have to create a independent world. If you use earth then everybody wants to know what time period & what race of people are you writing about. I do remember having a book or two. But I dont remember it being epic like isle of dread or dragon lance. I was really young back than, so maybe it was just me. Thanks Capt, its always a good day when you release a video.

[@ronniejdio9411]

He edited the anthologies and wrote short stories and created this game. Extremely influential esp for authors. Were still talking about it today.

[@mattnerdy7236]

@@ronniejdio9411 When you say created this game do you mean D&D? (Mr. Gary Gygax invented D&D). Every book he was involved in was a co-author or co-edited. He's not even "famous" for these set of books. His ex-wife Lynn Abbey has just as much to do with Thieves world as did Robert. It was his mythos-books that his real claim to fame, (for there humor). I did some searching I couldn't find anything saying he was still being talked about or there being kind of life time achieve award. H.P. Lovecraft is still remembered today. It took those books 50 years before they became famous. It also took that long before he even got a headstone on his grave. Lovecraft died a poor-man and was buried in a paupers grave. So I guess you could say H.P. Lovecraft was 50 years ahead of his time. CoC game is getting ready to hit its 7th edition. I'm sorry that Robert is no longer with us, (R.I.P.). 61 years of age is just to young. Thanks for your reply & have a great day.

[@michelsenay6084]

Humm, a 20 in all categories? That would make it a perfect product. Perfection is nigh-impossible to achieve.

[@danddjacko]

Did FASA not produce 5 Adventures. T0 - The Blue Camel and Also T4 - Vengence

[@darklyfantastic2652]

how do the Janet Morris books/stories fit into all this? her work always felt more high brow and less pulpish to me than the rest, but she isn't in your intro. Was there some issue with her?

[@captcorajus]

There isn't any issue with her at all. This review was specifically about the 1981 Boxed Set, which was based on the first two books of the anthology series release in years PRIOR. Janet Morris's novels didn't come out till years later, so really have nothing to do with the boxed set or this review.

[@darklyfantastic2652]

@@captcorajus I was just curious. Its been a hundred years since i read any/all of them. Enjoyed all of the series. I think the stories might be one of the first shared worlds. Never played in the setting, but always wanted to...I was a broke teenager in the early 80s, so go figure. :) Thanks for the review.

[@richmcgee434]

Janet Morris' first TW story was in the third book in 1981. The series was a bit of a boys club initially, but every book had at least a couple of female authors - including one I'd prefer to never see mentioned again, but that's over child abuse and pedophilia, not an issue with her writing or gender.

[@waltwhitmanleaves]

you should start a group on roll20

[@captcorajus]

I use Fantasy Grounds. To be honest, I can't make heads or tails out of roll 20

[@waltwhitmanleaves]

captcorajus one of the groups I play in use it for the maps and player sheets and just use discord for the voice

[@ppchu90]

Chaosium? wasn't this made by green ronin?

[@captcorajus]

Green Ronin didn't exist when this came out in 1981

[@richmcgee434]

Kind of depresses me that you really do need to explain Thieves' World these days, so few people have even heard of it, much less read much. The idea was pretty darned clever and spawned other "shared world" series, most notably the supers-genre Wild Cards books and the sadly short-lived Liavek fantasy books. Given the relative success of both TW and WC during their heyday I don't really understand why more of this style of collab fiction isn't out there on the market, but they seem to be dead in the present day.

[@captcorajus]

Yes, but the revival in interest in D&D is really great for all aspects of the game and related fiction so who knows what the future holds!

[@richmcgee434]

True. I completely forgot the other big collab series from back then, Cherryh's Merovingen Nights. Asprin was involved in that one too. Good stuff, scifi in theory but a regressed colony so it felt distinctly like Renaissance Italy, especially Venice. Seven anthologies and a novel and yet you never hear about them these days. I suppose 30-ish years is a long time. :)

[@maniacmonsoon2831]

12:05 Looks like a bit of a shit hole to be honest...