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The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

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This article is about the Fighting Fantasy book. For other uses, seeThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain (disambiguation).

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Cover of the first edition
AuthorsSteve Jackson
Ian Livingstone[1]
IllustratorRuss Nicholson
Cover artist
SeriesFighting Fantasy
  • Puffin number: 1
  • Wizard number: 1
GenreFantasy
Publication date
  • Puffin: 1982[1]
  • Dell/Laurel-Leaf: 1983[1]
  • Wizard: 2002
Media typePrint (Paperback)
ISBN0-14-031538-1(Puffin)
ISBN1-84046-387-2(Wizard)
Followed byThe Citadel of Chaos

The Warlock of Firetop Mountainis a single-playeradventure gamebookwritten bySteve JacksonandIan Livingstone,and illustrated byRuss Nicholson.Originally published byPuffin Booksin 1982, the title is the first gamebook in theFighting Fantasyseries. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2002, and Scholastic Books in 2017. As well as launching theFighting Fantasyseries, the gamebook inspired two direct sequels and five novels, and has been adapted into aboard game,anaudio dramaand avideo game.

Publication history[edit]

In 1980, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone attended a Games Day, and after meeting with a Penguin editor,Philippa Dickinson,decided to create a series of single-player gamebooks.[2][3][4][5][6]Their first submission,The Magic Quest,was a short adventure intended to demonstrate the style of game.The Magic Questwas eventually accepted byPenguin Books,although the authors devoted a further six months to expanding and improving upon the original concept.

The result wasThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain,and after several rewrites, the book was accepted and published in 1982 under Penguin's children's imprint,Puffin Books.The original cover of the book was illustrated by Peter Andrew Jones, with the interior illustrations by Russ Nicholson. Jackson and Livingstone approved all artwork.[7]Philippa Dickinson commissioned two more books in the same series.[6]

The title, like the game books that followed in theFighting Fantasyseries, distinguished itself by featuring a fantasy role-playing element, with the caption on each cover reading "a Fighting Fantasy gamebook in which YOU become the hero!" Uncertain as to how popular such a new and untried concept might prove to be, Penguin ran a first printing of just 5,000 copies.[8]These quickly sold out, leading Penguin to do additional print runs.[8][9]

The success of theFighting Fantasyseries (distribution in over 17 countries) allowed for numerous reprints of the original title,[10]although the cover of subsequent versions changed due to deliberate redesign, printing errors,[11]and releases in different markets.[7][12][13]When the franchise was acquired by Wizard Books in 2002, the title (as with others in the series) was the first to be reprinted, again with a completely different cover, the rationale being that the old cover did not suit the modern market.[14]

In 2007 Wizard Books released a special 25th anniversary edition, which included supplementary material. The cover for this edition had the original picture from the 1982 edition. In 2009 Wizard Books released another edition of the original book, with yet another new cover.

In 2017 Scholastic Books began publishingFighting Fantasybooks, and released a new edition ofThe Warlock of Firetop Mountainwith new interior art as well as a new cover.

In 1984 the book was reprinted in the first two issues ofWarlockmagazine, with a different solution to the keys puzzle at the end and therefore a different route through the mountain.

Rules[edit]

Main article:Fighting Fantasy

Plot[edit]

The Warlock of Firetop Mountainis a fantasy adventure scenario involving a quest for "an untold wealth of treasure" of a warlock in a dungeon.[1]

The player takes the role of an adventurer travelling to find the treasure of a powerfulWarlock,hidden deep within Firetop Mountain. People from a nearby village advise that the treasure is stored in a chest with two locks, and that the keys are guarded by various creatures within the dungeons. The player must then navigate the dungeons beneath Firetop Mountain, battle monsters and attempt to locate the keys.

Reception[edit]

Nicholas J R Dougan reviewedThe Warlock of Firetop MountainforWhite Dwarf#36, giving it an overall rating of 10 out of 10, and stated that "The book would make an ideal present for anyone who has expressed an interest in role-playing games, or indeed any young brother (or sister!). I imagine that the minimum age would be about ten, but I would recommend it to novice and veteran players alike for quite a few hours of entertainment."[15]

In the inaugural issue ofThe Games Machine,John Woods found that random chance played too great a part in the game, saying, "At several points a single wrong guess or unlucky dice roll spells doom for your character, and success often comes in an equally arbitrary fashion. There is little feeling of player skill having any influence on the outcome."[16]

The Warlock of Firetop Mountainwas chosen for inclusion inHobby Games: The 100 Best.Chris Pramascommented that the book "was a pioneering release that popularized the solo gamebook and successfully brought the roleplaying game experience to a wider audience. This book alone sold over two million copies and it was only the first of theFighting Fantasyseries.The Warlock of Firetop Mountainspawned 58 more Fighting Fantasy books in the original series, a support magazine, a board game, an ambitious spinoff series, several computer games, two traditional roleplaying games, and a series of fantasy novels. Then there was the legion of imitators, another sure sign of success. Not bad for a slim paperback less than 200 pages long. "[17]

In a retrospective review ofThe Warlock of Firetop MountaininBlack Gate,Matthew David Surridge said "Modern games are more forgiving thanWarlock,I think. Still, all in all, I think the book format may be best: there's a certain effect the mix of image and text gives you that I can't imagine in other formats. All told, I'm glad I picked the book up again. There’s magic inFiretop Mountainyet. "[18]

Other reviews[edit]

Sequels[edit]

The title was followed by two sequels, one written by Ian Livingstone. The first,Return to Firetop Mountain(the 50th title in theFighting Fantasyseries) was published in 1992 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise. The second sequel,Legend of Zagor(the 54th title in the series) was written by Carl Sargent although it was credited to Livingstone. It differed from traditional gameplay in that the player could choose one of four characters. Sargent also wroteThe Zagor Chronicleswhich were also partly credited to Livingstone. It was a series of four novels published from 1993 to 1994. The warlock Zagor also appeared in the firstFighting Fantasynovel,The Trolltooth Wars(1989), by Steve Jackson.

In other media[edit]

AZX Spectrum video game based on the bookwas released byCrystal Computingin 1984.[20]

The Warlock of Firetop Mountainboardgame,designed by Steve Jackson, was released in 1986 byGames Workshop.The game is based on the book, and players must navigate a maze and overcome monsters in a bid to be the first to open the Warlock's treasure chest.

The gamebook was also converted into a 40-paged20 Systemrole-playing adventure by Jamie Wallis. It was published by Myriador in 2003[21][22]and reissued inpdfformat by Greywood Publishing in 2008.[23]

In 2009,Big Blue Bubblereleased an action-RPG for the Nintendo DS titledFighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountainand based on the original title. In 2010, an electronic version of the title was released for theiPhoneandiPad.[24]When Big Blue Bubble later lost the license, all its apps were withdrawn. This gamebook has later been released by Tin Man Games.

On 10 February 2011 anAmazon Kindleedition of the title was launched by UK developerWorldweaver Ltd[25]and in September 2011 aPSPandPlayStation 3version was announced by UK developerLaughing Jackal.[26]

On 30 October 2015 the Australian game developers Tin Man Games launched aKickstarterproject to develop a video game based on the book, which was released in 2016.[27][28][29]

The gamebook was adapted into a role-playing adventure for theAdvanced Fighting Fantasysystem by Brett Schofield for Arion Games in 2016.[30]

In July 2017 the British audio company FoxYason Music Productions, known for their work withBig Finish Productions,announced that they had obtained the licence to make an original audio drama based onThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain.Sub-titled 'The Hero's Quest' the drama is written by David N. Smith and directed by Richard Fox and features many of the characters and locations from the original gamebook. The drama was released in September 2017 and featuresToby Longworthas Zagor,Rachel Atkinsas Vale Moonwing andTim Treloaras Cassius Stormblade.[31]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdSchick, Lawrence(1991).Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games.Prometheus Books. p. 365.ISBN0-87975-653-5.
  2. ^Mark J. Popp (27 November 2005)."Fighting Fantasy FAQ".Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2005.Retrieved30 May2014.
  3. ^Green, J. (2014).You Are The Hero.Snowbooks Fantasy Histories Series. Snowbooks Limited.ISBN978-1-909679-40-5.Retrieved16 May2023.
  4. ^Ropert, Pierre (10 August 2022)."15. La série Défis fantastiques".radiofrance.Retrieved16 May2023.
  5. ^Jackson, S. (2019).SORCERY! Die Shamutanti-Hügel: Ein Fighting-Fantasy Spielbuch von Steve Jackson(in German). Mantikore-Verlag. p. 8.ISBN978-3-945493-20-5.Retrieved16 May2023.
  6. ^abLivingstone, I.; Jackson, S. (2022).Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop.Unbound. p. 245.ISBN978-1-80018-053-6.Retrieved16 May2023.
  7. ^abMark J. Popp (27 November 2005)."Fighting Fantasy FAQ".Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2005.Retrieved30 May2014.
  8. ^ab"NG Alphas: Deathtrap Dungeon".Next Generation.No. 28.Imagine Media.April 1997. p. 94.
  9. ^Capper, Andy; Rayner, Ben (1 December 2009)."Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone".Vice.Retrieved3 February2022.
  10. ^Mark J. Popp (27 November 2005)."Fighting Fantasy FAQ".Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2005.Retrieved30 May2014.
  11. ^"Fighting Fantasy FAQ on the Internet Archive record of the old fightingfantasy.com site".Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2005.
  12. ^"Fighting Fantasy FAQ on the Internet Archive record of the old fightingfantasy.com site".Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2005.
  13. ^"One".Fightingfantasycollector.co.uk.Retrieved30 May2014.
  14. ^ "Interview with Simon Flynn on the official Fighting Fantasy website".Archived fromthe originalon 22 March 2005.
  15. ^Dougan, Nicholas J R (December 1982). "Open Box".White Dwarf.No. 36.Games Workshop.p. 26.
  16. ^Woods, John (October 1987). "Going Solo".The Games Machine.No. 1.Newsfield.p. 41.
  17. ^Pramas, Chris(2007). "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain". InLowder, James(ed.).Hobby Games: The 100 Best.Green Ronin Publishing.pp. 362–364.ISBN978-1-932442-96-0.
  18. ^""A Fighting Fantasy Gamebook in Which YOU Are the Hero!": The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – Black Gate ".
  19. ^"Jeux & stratégie 26".April 1984.
  20. ^"Warlock of Firetop Mountain, The".World of Spectrum.Retrieved30 May2014.
  21. ^"Review of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – RPGnet".Retrieved23 August2014.
  22. ^"SFandFantasy.co.uk – The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. 2003".Retrieved23 August2014.
  23. ^"Warlock of Firetop Mountain – RPG Geek".Retrieved23 August2014.
  24. ^"iTunes Store".iTunes Store.Retrieved30 May2014.
  25. ^"Fighting Fantasy gamebooks at Worldweaver Ltd".worldweaver.com.Retrieved11 February2011.
  26. ^"Laughing Jackal announce Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain".laughingjackal.co.uk.Retrieved1 September2011.
  27. ^Valentin, Christian."Kickstart this: Tin Man Games re-imagines its classic Warlock of Firetop Mountain gamebook as a 3D RPG".Pocket Gamer.Retrieved4 November2015.
  28. ^Neumann, Dave."Ain't no smoggy smoke on Firetop: Tin Man Games' new version of Warlock of Firetop Mountain is mind-blowing".Pocket Tactics.Retrieved4 November2015.
  29. ^Smith, Adam (2 November 2015)."Fancy Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Revamp".Rock Paper Shotgun.Retrieved4 November2015.
  30. ^"Warlock of Firetop Mountain (2016) – RPG Geek".Retrieved20 October2019.
  31. ^"Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas".fightingfantasyaudiodramas.com.Retrieved12 February2021.

External links[edit]

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