"This encylopedic guide to role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons explains their evolution
and gives complete descriptions and collectors' information for every game system and related product ever published in the English language.
These games are regularly played improvisations, with rules that allow for consistent resolution of action, in which heroic characters created
by the players investigate mysteries, battle enemies, or embark on quests. Featuring essays by fourteen top industry designers, Heroic Worlds
describes the germination and blossoming of this fascinating species of entertainment and its contribution to the world of games,
art, and literature. The core of the book is the comprehensive Game Index, which lists and describes, by genre, more than 250 role-playing game systems.
Each entry includes the system's title, creative credits, format, page count, publisher, and publication date.
Rules, supplements, scenarios, and usage are high-lighted, and notes of interest, recommendations and warnings are included.
Also included are 'top ten' lists of recommended systems and products, a listing of award-winners, and a timeline that depicts at a glance
the creative and commercial trends and the explosive growth of the industry. More than sixty illustrations by top game artists punctuate Schick's commentary
and convey the essence of role-plaing.
Heroic Worlds is the esential reference for the player and collector, both novice and experiencd, of role-playing games."
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The Tome of Treasures Rating:
Schick's influence in the collecting hobby cannot be overestimeated. The release of Heroic Worlds in 1991 gave the collector a reference book for every role-playing game
item ever created! Long before there were sites like the Tome of Treasures, long before there were internet, Schick wrote this standard compendium and was
years ahead of everyone else.
His book has everything: Basic descriptions ('What is a Role-Playing Game'), a short history of Role-Playing Games, golden advice for new collectors, useful directories, tables of award winners and a timeline
of the history of Role-Playing Games. There are small essays from other game designers. Plus, of course, the powerful, 350+ pages long index of games, grouped by genre.
Schick's information is accurate and well researched. The tome was clearly written with the insight from an insider; Schick has been a game designers at TSR in Lake Geneva, during the 1980's.
(Ralf Toth)
Conclusion: If you take collecting seriously, and you are yet without a copy of Heroic Worlds, go to Amazon.com and buy one. Now.
This the reference for pre-1990 role-playing games!
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