The game uses a variation of the Tri-Stat dX system.Įmpire of the Petal Throne's setting, Tékumel, used a mixture of fantasy, science fantasy and science fiction backgrounds. In 2005, the Canadian publisher Guardians of Order produced Tékumel: Empire of the Petal Throne. Barton gave a favorable review, saying, 'if you have character of at least level 5 in your EPT campaign, and the players aren't the sort who lose interest quickly, The Nightmare Maze of Jigresh may prove to be an interesting change of pace for your Tekumelian excursions.' Later editions Įmpire of the Petal Throne was reprinted later as a single book by Different Worlds Publications in 1987. In Issue 42 of The Space Gamer, William A.

Mayeau, with illustrations by Ken Simpson. In 1981, Judges Guild acquired the license to publish an EPT adventure, : 296 The Nightmare Maze of Jigrésh, a 16-page booklet written by Michael E. As a result, the product was more expensive and thus less profitable. They had agreed to pay a 'finder's fee' on sales in addition to royalties as well as to certain expensive overrides. TSR was locked into a deal that made the financial end of the game unpalatable to them. The game was the subject of articles in early issues of Dragon magazine, but factors such as inconsistent support from TSR led to its decline in popularity. The game brought a level of detail and quality to the concept of a campaign setting which had previously been unknown in the nascent RPG industry's publications. TSR published Barker's game and setting as a standalone game, rather than as a 'supplement' to the original D&D rules. Barker made his commercial game-design debut at TSR, Inc., the publishers of Dungeons & Dragons, with Empire of the Petal Throne boxed set in 1975. 1975 TSR edition Įmpire of the Petal Throne influenced Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, who were impressed with the game. 'Empire of the Petal Throne' is a synonym for the Tsolyáni Empire in game.īarker also wrote another game based in Tékumel: a combat-oriented board game, War of Wizards, in 1975.

This version is now referred to as 'Manuscript edition'.

Barker first self-published 50 copies of his own role-playing game, Empire of the Petal Throne in 1974, the same year that Dungeons & Dragons was published. He served as adviser to the university's wargaming club, where a club-mate and role-playing game player Michael Mornard showed him Dungeons & Dragons. Barker, a scholar of ancient languages, had spent decades crafting a fantasy world called Tékumel, writing thousands of pages of histories, describing its culture, and even constructing its languages.

Empire of the petal throne wizard wars