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Play By Mail Game
Item code: na
Internal Code: na
Type: Play by Mail Game
Levels: na
Release: 1985
Game Design, Programming, and Rules: Jim Dutton
Additional Programming: Elizabeth Dutton
Technical Advisor: Harold Johnson
Developers: Jim Graham
Raymond Maddox
Cover Art: Larry Elmore
Format: 16-pages soft cover, plus 3 character sheets and 1 additional rules page.
Print Runs: → 1st
Rarity: Very Rare
Value @NrMint: $80
ISBN: na
Cover Price: na
Weight: 75 grams
Dimensions: width: 21.5 cm
height: 28.0 cm
depth: 0.2 cm
Collectors arcana: Play By Mail was not a new concept in large scale campaign gaming when this particular game was produced. It was used rather widely in the 60's for wargaming. The idea was people interested in the games you were did not live next door or in the next town. So the best way to enjoy multiple session gaming was to engage others in play by mail campaigns. This could be considered the equivalent of online Internet gaming enjoyed by many these days. While other gaming companies and magazines were either supporting or hosting pbm game systems, TSR never ventured very deeply into them outside of possibly some attention to them in their periodicals. This is the only PBM game either published or licensed by TSR for use with its AD&D / D&D game systems.

Talaran, Land of Challenge is more of an overview of TSR's core AD&D rules which are used in the PBM gaming system. It also contains background information on Talaran, maps of Talaran, character sheets and PBM instructions. You have to fill out your character sheets and send them into company headquarters in North Carolina (along with the $4/turn fee). A human DM with the help of a computer program would print out and send back the next turn of your campaign to which you would respond with action and decisions and send this back to North Carolina (with another $4) for the results of your next turn, etc., etc. We would think the $4 fee would get pretty pricey over time. It is probably to no ones surprise this gaming concept never took off.

Talaran, Land of Challange, is a Play By Mail game systems produced by Entertainment Concepts, Inc. under a TSR license. Entertainment Concepts was a company owned by Jim and Elizabeth Dutton in North Carolina. They received technical advice from TSR rep Harold Johnson.
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