Fight, Magic, Items
Fight, Magic, Items

Author: Aidan Moher

Publisher: Running Press Adult

Published: 2022-10-04

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0762479647

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Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games—from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day. The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories, and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history—and it has the fanbase to prove it. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides readers through the fascinating history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries that fueled the creation of countless iconic games and their quest to become the best, not only in Japan, but in North America, too. Moher starts with the origin stories of two classic Nintendo titles, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and immerses readers in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history from through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope, risk, and pixels, from the tiny teams and almost impossible schedules that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing the narrative and genre boundaries with Phantasy Star; the unexpected team up between Horii and Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger; or the unique mashup of classic Disney with Final Fantasy coolness in Kingdom Hearts. Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, Fight, Magic, Items captures the evolution of the genre and why it continues to grab us, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.

Fight, Magic, Items
Fight, Magic, Items

Author: Aidan Moher

Publisher: Running Press Adult

Published: 2022-10-04

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780762479634

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Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games--from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day. The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories, and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history--and it has the fanbase to prove it. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides readers through the fascinating history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries that fueled the creation of countless iconic games and their quest to become the best, not only in Japan, but in North America, too. Moher starts with the origin stories of two classic Nintendo titles, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and immerses readers in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history from through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope, risk, and pixels, from the tiny teams and almost impossible schedules that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing the narrative and genre boundaries with Phantasy Star; the unexpected team up between Horii and Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger; or the unique mashup of classic Disney with Final Fantasy coolness in Kingdom Hearts. Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, Fight, Magic, Items captures the evolution of the genre and why it continues to grab us, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.

Pure Invention
Pure Invention

Author: Matt Alt

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2021-06-22

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1984826719

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The untold story of how Japan became a cultural superpower through the fantastic inventions that captured—and transformed—the world’s imagination. “A masterful book driven by deep research, new insights, and powerful storytelling.”—W. David Marx, author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives. In the 1970s and ’80s, Japan seemed to exist in some near future, gliding on the superior technology of Sony and Toyota. Then a catastrophic 1990 stock-market crash ushered in the “lost decades” of deep recession and social dysfunction. The end of the boom should have plunged Japan into irrelevance, but that’s precisely when its cultural clout soared—when, once again, Japan got to the future a little ahead of the rest of us. Hello Kitty, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and multimedia empires like Dragon Ball Z were more than marketing hits. Artfully packaged, dangerously cute, and dizzyingly fun, these products gave us new tools for coping with trying times. They also transformed us as we consumed them—connecting as well as isolating us in new ways, opening vistas of imagination and pathways to revolution. Through the stories of an indelible group of artists, geniuses, and oddballs, Pure Invention reveals how Japan’s pop-media complex remade global culture.

The Book of Holding (Dungeons & Dragons)
The Book of Holding (Dungeons & Dragons)

Author: Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed

Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers

Published: 2020-08-04

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 1984824619

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This officially licensed keepsake journal, lavishly designed with magnetic enclosure and a back pocket, is a must-have for Dungeons & Dragons fans of all levels and ages. Trust this multipurpose journal to stow all your ideas, notes, and to-dos. Highly customizable with five pieces of stunning full-color artwork, The Book of Holding is ideal for capturing character sketches, formulating campaigns, or organizing your everyday thoughts. Whether you're a die-hard dungeon master preparing for your next game session or a part-time player wanting to represent your favorite RPG, this journal is the ultimate companion to your quest.

Weapons of Legacy
Weapons of Legacy

Author: Bruce R. Cordell

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780786936885

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For centuries, Inuit in the Arctic have lived on and around the frozen ocean. Now, as climate change is rapidly melting the sea ice between Canada and Greenland, development here threatens to upset the delicate balance between their communities, land and wildlife.

The Monsters Know What They're Doing
The Monsters Know What They're Doing

Author: Keith Ammann

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2019-10-29

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 1982122684

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From the creator of the popular blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a compilation of villainous battle plans for Dungeon Masters. In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behavior—and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behavior! It’s easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away. In The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM’s burden by helping you understand your monsters’ abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don’t whip out their field manuals for the first time when they’re already under fire, a DM shouldn’t wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat. Easy to read and apply, The Monsters Know What They're Doing is essential reading for every DM.

Oathbound
Oathbound

Author: Darrin Drader

Publisher: Bastion Press, Inc.

Published: 2003-05

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9781592630035

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The great City of Penance is the oldest settlement on the Forge, literally containing millions of years of history in its deep hulking mass. Though nearly forty million souls call the city home, less than half of one percent of the city's locations are inhabited. The bulk of the Pedestal is a madly stacked and sprawling ruin, only superficially explored by the relentless rafters and treasure-seekers of the surface world. Every home in the city has a hundred others lost beneath it, and every city street stands atop an incredible three-dimensional maze of corridors, alleyways, and crawlspaces - a maze where time has left nothing unchanged, eroding and distorting the framework of magic and even the laws of physics themselves.Long past the grasp of any human control, the ruins of Penance have become a true landscape, vast, beautiful, and unforgiving, with their own unique ecosystem and their own set of hazards and comforts. Strange plants and creatures have evolved in the eternally darkened streets below the city, and prey upon those foolish enough to step out of the city's gilded cage of civilization.Wrack and Ruin is an essential guidebook for anyone intoxicated by the forgotten secrets of the past, or by the potential power lost within the great city's crumbling majesty. Don't leave your Bloodhold without it!

Pathfinder Lost Omens
Pathfinder Lost Omens

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2020-03-24

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781640782020

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Test your convictions. In a land without fate and a world too often void of justice, it falls to the gods to make or break the people who call upon them for salvation -- or draw their ire. Swear yourself to the might of the gods and the power of their causes, or reject their offerings to live a life that's yours and yours alone! Lost Omens Gods & Magic offers details on major gods found in the Inner Sea region, including what forms their pleasure or wrath might take. It also presents rules for over a hundred other deities and philosophies so you can find the cause that best fits your convictions and take up weapons and magic in its service!

Battle Magic (World Breaker Book 3)
Battle Magic (World Breaker Book 3)

Author: N. R. Hairston

Publisher: Fire Ink Media, LLC

Published: 2021-06-29

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13:

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They call me the World Breaker. They call my crew the Wrath Bringers. I have five men named Tiger to find. They live in five different universes. One of them kidnapped my cousin. I gather my crew. It’s time to hunt. Each world offers a new challenge, a new fight. I’ll do anything to get my cousin back, even if it means fighting to my very last breath.

B|X Fantasy Roleplay
B|X Fantasy Roleplay

Author: J Alexander Lloyd

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2016-08-04

Total Pages: 86

ISBN-13: 1365306488

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BX Fantasy Roleplay is the ultimate B/X emulator. Based on the 1981 B/X rules, edited by Tom Moldvay, Dave Cook, and Steve Marsh, this booklet consolidates the Basic and Expert Sets into one, easy-to-use booklet. So buy a backpack, light a torch, steady your steed, and wield the BXFRP rules for an action-pack, exciting evening of fun and adventure, old-school style.