Blackmoor (supplement)

Infobox Book
name = Dungeons & Dragons Supplement II: Blackmoor


image_caption = The original "Blackmoor" supplement (TSR Inc., 1975)
author = Dave Arneson
genre = Role-playing game
publisher = TSR, Inc.
release_date = 1975
media_type =
pages = 60
isbn =

"Blackmoor" is a supplementary rulebook by Dave Arneson (with a foreword by Gary Gygax) for the original edition of the "Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game. It was published by TSR, Inc. in 1975 as the second supplement to the original "Dungeons & Dragons" boxed set and bears the designation "Supplement II", with "Greyhawk" preceding in the same year. Its product designation was TSR 2004.

The 60-page booklet was named for Dave Arneson's original role-playing campaign world, Blackmoor. [Thumbnail Analysis - Blackmoor, Don Lowry, "Panzerfaust and Campaign" #72 (Panzerfaust Publications, 1976)] It added rules, monsters, treasure, and the first published role-playing game adventure, "Temple of the Frog". [ [http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12622.phtml Review of Dungeons & Dragons Supplement II: Blackmoor] , Scott Casper (2006), retrieved March 2008] Despite the name, however, the supplement did not include any information on the setting itself.

"Blackmoor" added two new character classes to the game: the Assassin, a thief sub-class, and the Monk, a "Monastic Martial arts" cleric sub-class, with some attributes of the fighter and thief classes. It also introduced a hit location system, wherein each individual body part of a character or monster was assigned its own hit points. The odds of hitting any specific body part changed depending on the character's height and weapon reach, and if any individual body part "died", the creature would be crippled or killed.

This supplement also introduced rules for underwater adventures. Rules for swimming, equipment weight restrictions when fighting underwater, and the effects of underwater combat on weapons and spells were all covered by this supplement. Blackmoor also included numerous new water-dwelling and equipment useful for underwater adventures.

Illustrations were provided by David C. Sutherland III, Mike Bell, Tracy Lesch, and was edited by Tim Kask. [http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=2471]

References