Witchlord
Witchlord is a fantasy board game published in 1984 by Litrex 84.
Gameplay[edit]
The game components include
- 8-page rulebook that covers combat, spellcasting, special encounters, and character advancement.
- three reference sheets
- four decks totalling 120 cards
- 16" x 25" board
- six metal figures
- a six-sided die
Players choose to play either a single scenario, or the "campaign version" of the game. Players then choose to play one of eight standard character classes resembling those from Dungeons & Dragons (fighter, bard, barabarian, magician, thief, etc.).[1] The characters explore an ancient castle., using die rolls to move their miniatures around a track on the board. Each square is titled "Corridor", "Door", "Stair", "Room" or "Arena Portal". The first three have no effect on the game.
Room[edit]
When the characters enter a room, a drawn card reveals the treasure and monsters within. If the characters kill the monsters, they keep the treasure.
Arena[edit]
If the characters land on the same "Arena Portal" square three times, they are transported to the Arena, where they must battle an random monster.
Winning the "Single Scenario"[edit]
In the Single Scenario variant of the game, characters gain a level for each room they successfully empty. After clearing ten rooms, the characters fight the Witchlord's general. Defeating the general wins the game.
Winning the "Campaign Game"[edit]
In the Campaign Game, players must keep track of "proficiency points" for killing monsters and acquiring treasure. Once the Witchlord's general has been defeated, the player with the most proficiency points wins the game.
Publication history[edit]
Witchlord was an attempt by designer Cameron Ball[2] to translate the popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons into a board game.[1]
In the July 1984 edition of Dragon (Issue 87), Litrex 84 advertised Witchlord as well as a related game called Liegelord in which characters "cross a perilous kingdom."[3] Despite the advertisment, Liegelord was never published.
Reception[edit]
In the July-August 1985 edition of The Space Gamer No. 75, Rick Swan liked the quality of the components, commenting, "This is no slap-dash effort, not by a long shot." But despite the production values, Swan criticized the game as just another failed attempt to turn D&D into a board game. "Witness Witchlord, a hopelessly derivative fantasy boardgame made all the more pathetic by the wide-eyed sincerity with which it's presented." He derided the repetitive nature of the 'kill the monster, take the treasure' game mechanic, saying, "If this sounds like your idea of a good time, then you're either new to fantasy gaming or you're very easy to please."[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Swan, Rick (July–August 1985). "Capsule Reviews". Space Gamer. Steve Jackson Games (75): 39.
- ↑ "Obituary: Cameron Ball". legacy.com. 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ↑ "Witchlord and Liegelord, a breakthorough in fantasy role gaming...". Dragon. TSR Inc. (87): 15. July 1984.
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