Fight On! Issue 16 now available – dedicated to DA Trampier

One of the best things to happen in the “old school” gaming community in the past year is the return of the amazing fanzine Fight On! 

Issue 16 has just dropped and it’s dedicated to my favourite FRPG artist of all time: David A. Trampier.

Fight On! has a new website

FYI: The original Old School Renaissance fanzine Fight On! has a new website.

Sale on issues 1-14 of Fight On!

As recently announced here, the Old School Renaissance fanzine Fight On! has returned to publication after a long sabbatical.

If you are missing PDF versions of the first run, issues 1-14, they currently are available in a bundle at Drivethru RPG for 50 percent off (34.99 USD). The sale will run until this Saturday (12 October 2024).

It’s great to have Fight On! back with us … and fighting on! 

Fight On! Is Back

In the early days of this blog, when the “Old School Renaissance” scene was full of vim and vigour, a major player was the fanzine Fight On! It was a wonderful, eclectic, and somewhat chaotic journal, filled with fun scenarios, monsters, optional rules, and the like. I happily contributed a couple of articles back in the day (“Background Professions” to #5 and “The Duchy of Briz” to #7).

After a decade of enchanted sleep, Fight On! is back with issue #15. Here’s the blurb from the editor Ignatius Umlaut:

Ten years later, we are back from the dead to Fight On once more! These revenant runes are just as jam-packed as you remember with classes, monsters, spells, magic items, rules mods, homebrews, and awesome adventures in the spirit of the eldritch era of fantasy roleplaying! Dedicated to seventies D&D legend J. Eric Holmes, this issue brings together old and new stalwarts alike to celebrate our 15th issue and new beginning! With art and articles by J. Eric and Christopher Holmes, Tom Gordon, Calithena, Gabor Lux, Jeff Rients, James Maliszewski, Kesher, Pete Mullen, Cameron Hawkey, Zach Howard, Alex Schroder, Richard Rittenhouse, Settembrini, Patrick Farley, Jason Sholtis, Robert Conley, Kelvin Green, Philipp H., Attronarch, Mitzi!, and many more, this is the first of our new forays into fanzine fame and glory! Ride that wyvern while the sun is shining, and keep Fighting On!

My life with roleplaying games started with Dr. J. Eric Holmes’s Basic Dungeons & Dragons set back in 1980 (the one with chits instead of dice). So I’m especially keen to check out this issue!

[Picture by Peter Mullen from FO! 15]

OSRIC fanzine: Saving Throw

Miss Fight On! or Knockspell? I know I do!
 
Well Saving Throw is here to give you that ‘old school’ thrill again.

Here’s the blurb (from DrivethruRPG):

Saving Throw — a fundraiser fanzine to help James D. Kramer
You may know Jim Kramer from his Usherwood Publishing modules & supplements, or his work helping produce works like OSRIC and Knockspell. You probably didn’t know Jim had multiple brain surgeries to remove tumors, and the battle has gotten much harder. To help Jim and his family during this difficult time, a group of his friends, collaborators, and first edition enthusiasts banded together to make this fundraiser fanzine, where all royalties go directly to Jim and his family. 

This 60+ page issue of Saving Throw contains:
• Introduction by Ron Redmond
• Island Tables - random generation and inspiration tool by Steve Smith aka “EOTB”
• Sorcerer’s Stone - dungeon level by Keith Sloan
• Trolls of the Simpolo Swamps - leech-mated trollish variations by Joseph Browning
• Perladon Manor - adventure module by Gabor Lux
• By The Runes - fiction by Dan Rasaiah
• Magic Item Intrinsic Material Values - variant magic item value rules by Guy Fullerton
• Goblin Garbug Cavalry - new monster by Andrew Hamilton
• The Tiled Labyrinth - mini-dungeon by Guy Fullerton
• Lotus Blossoms - magical and special properties of these exotic flora by Keith Sloan
• Burly the Baker - ready-to-use NPC and cantrips by Gary Francisco
• Darkworld Troll - new monster by Bryan Fazekas
• Offig’s Tomb - treasure map by Steve Smith aka “EOTB”
• Lizard Man Lair - outdoor module and new monsters by Steve Smith aka "EOTB"
• Mephitic Geysers of the Intaglio Rift - treasure map by Allan T. Grohe, Jr. (“grodog")
• The Mere Beneath - dungeon level by Guy Fullerton, Allan T. Grohe, Jr. (“grodog"), and Henry A. Grohe
• Sarendra’s Crew & Kelurrin’s Crew - ready-to-use NPC parties by Allan T. Grohe, Jr. (“grodog")
• Rescue from the Sanctuary of the Leopard Goddess - dungeon module by Matthew Riedel
• Featuring illustrations by Jimm Johnson, James D. Kramer, Wind Lothamer, Gabor Lux, Denis McCarthy, Peter Szmer (soon), Del Teigeler, and Alex Zisch. 

For the lucky price of $13, you get two treasure maps, three referee tools, five new spells, six modules, at least nine new monsters, twelve ready-to-use NPCs, and more. Plus the knowledge that your purchase helps a family during a difficult time.
Thank you!

I have it, I’ve looked it over, and it’s the real deal.  Fight On!

Also: check out the OSRIC webpage.

Fight On! to End

Either issue #14 or #15 will be the final issue of the epic OSR fanzine Fight On!  The full statement from Calithena can be read here.

I’m quite sad to see Fight On! wrapping up.  It was a real force in the OSR, especially in the early years, and every issue contained lots of interesting articles and adventures.

I’m proud to have had a couple of things published in Fight On!  And I regret that I didn’t submit more articles.

Kudos to Calithena on a job well done!  (Well, almost done...)