Aslan (fanzine)
Encyclopedia
Aslan was a highly-regarded British role-playing game
fanzine
that was published in Brighton
and sunsequently York
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It ran for 13 issues and many of them had sub-zines included. The title refers to both a character in The Chronicles of Narnia
and an alien race in the Traveller (role-playing game)
. The fanzine grew out of a long-running fantasy role-playing game which took place at the University of Sussex
. The editor and publisher was Andrew Rilstone, who was initially assisted by Martin Wykes.
Aslan became known for its RPG theory, philosophy, speculation & commentary. It took a stance opposed to much of the role-playing games industry of the day, which at the time was concentrating on expanding into the children’s games market. As a reaction against the use of heavily pre-plotted scenarios in many commercial game products Aslan promoted the concept of player-centred narrative. This allowed the actions of the players to determine the course of the narrative rather than requiring the story to follow a predetermined plot.
The magazine has been credited with popularising freeform role-playing game
s in the UK.
Rilstone later went on to edit Interactive Fantasy, a journal that took his RPG ideas further. Interactive Fantasy ran for four issues in 1994-95; the first issue was titled Inter*action but this was changed for subsequent issues because of trademark difficulties.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
that was published in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and sunsequently York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It ran for 13 issues and many of them had sub-zines included. The title refers to both a character in The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
and an alien race in the Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
. The fanzine grew out of a long-running fantasy role-playing game which took place at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
. The editor and publisher was Andrew Rilstone, who was initially assisted by Martin Wykes.
Aslan became known for its RPG theory, philosophy, speculation & commentary. It took a stance opposed to much of the role-playing games industry of the day, which at the time was concentrating on expanding into the children’s games market. As a reaction against the use of heavily pre-plotted scenarios in many commercial game products Aslan promoted the concept of player-centred narrative. This allowed the actions of the players to determine the course of the narrative rather than requiring the story to follow a predetermined plot.
The magazine has been credited with popularising freeform role-playing game
Freeform role-playing game
Freeform role-playing games, also called freeforms, are a type of role-playing game which employ minimal or no rules. Instead, actions are adjudicated on the spot by the referee. There are also several variations, some of which lack a referee....
s in the UK.
Rilstone later went on to edit Interactive Fantasy, a journal that took his RPG ideas further. Interactive Fantasy ran for four issues in 1994-95; the first issue was titled Inter*action but this was changed for subsequent issues because of trademark difficulties.
External links
- RPG articles by Andrew Rilstone including some from Interactive Fantasy.