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Stormbringer 1st ed - mentioning Steve Perrin's Gateway Bestiary


Brimgeth

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Greetings,

My first post here on the forum (huzzah!). Some time ago I won a copy of the boxed 1st ed Stormbringer rpg on Ebay in very, very good condition (thin box set in good condition with no rips or tears, rulesbook with no stains or damage, all inserts accounted for including a well kept catalog from Chaosium back in the day. Unfortunately, no dice).

Stormbringer was my first actual purchased rpg, specifically the Games Workshop released hardcover edition. As a voracious reader of the Elric books back in school, I had to have this. I played this game obsessively even after the binding fell apart.

Anyway, this box set has a place of pride on my book shelf along with its various supplements. Every now and then I have a flick through the book, when a section of the rules caught my eye; As fun as the game is, the content of natural creature opponents was rather slim and there was a passage mentioning of being able to use Steve's Gateway Bestiary to add extra beasties.

I've never actually seen this book so I have to ask:

1. What was the Gateway Bestiary? A supplement for Runequest?

2. As it doesn't seem to be in print, could I use the pdfs of "All the World's Monsters" from Chaosium's site to use as more creatures in the game instead?

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Welcome to the forums!

I do not have Gateway Bestiary, nor do I have much knowledge of All the World's Monsters. I do share a love of the old Stormbringer game (though my version was the Whelan cover, 3rd?). Something about merging BRP and Ken St. Andre makes this world a better place to live in. :D

70/420

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Welcome to the forums!

I do not have Gateway Bestiary, nor do I have much knowledge of All the World's Monsters. I do share a love of the old Stormbringer game (though my version was the Whelan cover, 3rd?). Something about merging BRP and Ken St. Andre makes this world a better place to live in. :D

Technically, 3rd edition is the GW hardcover. 4th is the Whelan cover, and that was quite a coup for Magic World's Ben Monroe (John B. Monroe in the 4th edition credits). Ben was able to get permission to use the Whelan piece, and he was the one who tweaked the demon summoning/creation rules (if you look closely, they are based on the Superworld Power system).

I love Stormbringer, and pretty much own a copy of everything - I have the thick 1st edition revised boxed set, all the original 1st/2nd edition supplements and scenarios, the 3rd edition GW hardcover, 4th edition and all supplements, Elric! and all supplements, and 5th edition.

Ian

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Greetings,

I've never actually seen this book so I have to ask:

1. What was the Gateway Bestiary? A supplement for Runequest?

2. As it doesn't seem to be in print, could I use the pdfs of "All the World's Monsters" from Chaosium's site to use as more creatures in the game instead?

1. Yes the GB was a supplement for RQ. Some of the monster stats are more readily available elsewhere, and have been updated, if you're interested, there is a list of the creatures in the book here: The Gateway Bestiary - Acaeum

2. All the World's Monsters has conversion notes for RQ but aren't in normal BRP stats. You would probably be better off buying more modern supplements either for RQ or BRP. :)

Edited by Conrad
http://www.basicrps.com/core/BRP_quick_start.pdf A sense of humour and an imagination go a long way in roleplaying. ;)
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Technically, 3rd edition is the GW hardcover.

I can never keep early Stormbringer editions straight. If you asked me which was chaos value and which was elan I would have to take a shot in the dark. :D

I did know about zomben's hand in demons, not about the cover though. Very cool.

70/420

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2. All the World's Monsters has conversion notes for RQ but aren't in normal BRP stats. You would probably be better off buying more modern supplements either for RQ or BRP. :)

Yes, many of the creatures in Gateway Bestiary have been reprinted for RQ3/CoC/BRP.

I can't think of any reason to buy All the World's Monsters, to be honest. I bought a copy years ago and regretted it as soon as I saw it.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. 

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Guest Vile Traveller

All the World's Monsters was a 3-volume collection of D&D/AD&D monsters created by various people at the the dawn of the era. The aim was originally what it says on the tin, but Chaosium quickly realised that this RPG thing was growing faster than anyone could keep up with: "We originally conceived it to include every monster created by players to add to games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Tunnels & Trolls, and the Arduin Grimoire. We rapidly realized we couldn't do it." As Conrad points out there are conversion notes, you can find those in volume .

The Gateway Bestiary is an undeservedly obscure tome that includes lots of useful creatures in RQ2 format. Here's the index:

GIANT ARTHROPODS

Giant Ants

Assassin Bugs

Giant Centipedes

Giant Crabs

Guard Beetles

Peripati

Giant Scorpions

Giant Spiders

Stingworms

Giant Termites

Vinegaroons

Giant Ticks

Giant Wasps

LEGENDARY BEINGS

Amphisbonae

Arguses

Catoblepases

Fauns

Gorgons

Harpies

Hippogriffs

Hydrae

Lesser Hydrae

Lamiae

Rocs

Satyrs

Sphinxes

CELTIC HORRORS

Barguests

Brollachans

Fachans

Kelpies

Nuckelavees

Redcaps

Stoorworms

Water-Leapers

Voughs

H. P. LOVECRAFT CREATIONS

Deep Ones

Great Race

Mi-Gos

Nightgaunts

Old Ones

Shoggoths

Spawn of Yog-Sothoth

NATURAL ANIMALS

Apes

Bears

Big Cats

Birds

Canines

Crocodiles

Dolphins

Pachyderms

Pythons

Giant Squids

DINOSAURS

Sauropods

Carnosaurs

Hadrasaurs

Ceratopsians

Anklyosaurs and Stegosaurs

MISCELLANEOUS TYPES

Anthrophages

Bandersnatches

Chonchons

Gapers

Jabberwocks

Headhangers

Jubjub Birds

Mummies

Shark-Men

Wraiths

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Guest Vile Traveller

The more I hear about this, the more I want that Bestiary; it would be great if it could be released again.

I'm sure it could be, if Chaosium was interested. There's nothing trademarked in there.

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Thanks all for the info. The more I hear about this, the more I want that Bestiary; it would be great if it could be released again.

Quite a number of the creatures in it have been reproduced elsewhere though: Malleus Monstrorum is a comprehensive bestiary for Call of Cthulhu, but highly useable with Magic World and other D100/BRP compatible games.

And there is a bestiary / monsters collection in the works for Magic World that includes some of the less often reproduced stuff from the Gateway Bestiary as well as a host of new creatures. No idea where it is the pipeline though...

EDIT: Also, GB was a definite influence on this:

BASIC Creatures at Chaosium

BASIC Creatures PDF at Chaosium

BASIC Creatures at DTR

Cheers,

Nick

Edited by NickMiddleton
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