This is a small time production company of the well known TSR couple Tracy
and Laura Hickman (for interview, see: Tracy Hickman Q/A Correspondence). They developed their own concept of
designing adventures that could be played in one to two sessions as opposed to the grand endless campaign.
They called these adventures Nightventures. They further broke down the description of designing scenerios into 4 self imposed requirements...
1) A player objective more worthwhile than simply pillaging and killing.
2) An intriguing story that is intricately woven into play itself.
3) Dungeons with an architectural sense.
4) An attainable and honorable end within one to two sessions playing time.
The forward in one of their adventures mentions that the pages are easily removable to be inserted into a referees notebook.
With a suggestion like this we would have to assume many of these were actually destroyed during play.
The two adventures Daystar West produced are featured here in Pharoah and Rahasia. They were apparently working on and playtesting
Ravenloft in it earliest form at the same time and was entitled Vampyr at that time. However, this was never completed and published like the other two.
Another project by Hickman was entitled Eye of the Dragon. This could arguably be the inspiration for Hickman's later contributing efforts toward developing the Dragonlance series.
It is not known the extent that Vampyr and Eye of the Dragon were developed as they have not been seen to date. Both are confirmed to exist to a certain extent.
Somewhere along their gaming travels this work was introduced to the good folks at TSR who did the company a huge favor hiring the Hickmans and publishing these adventures
from Daystar West. The Hickmans had a big hand in developing a number of games and adventures and is probably best known for the Dragonlance world and product line.
The Scribe at Tome of Treasures was fortunate enough to do some correspondence with Tracy Hickman regarding a number of burning mysteries surrounding his days with Daystar West leading into the earliest days with TSR. We are pleased to present these here in a question/answer format......Tracy Hickman Q/A Correspondence.
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Pharoah
Rahasia
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