Endless Quest
Encyclopedia
The Endless Quest books were two series of gamebooks released by TSR
. These books were the result of an Educational department established by TSR to develop curriculum programs for reading, math, history, and problem solving.
The first series of 36 books was released from 1982 to 1987, the second series of 13 from 1994 to 1996.
These were respectively the first and last gamebooks released by TSR. A short spin-off series of 4 Endless Quest: Crimson Crystal Adventures books were also released during 1985. There were also several series of similar books that did not bear the Endless Quest name.
The mechanics of these books involved simple choices in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure
books, rather than the game-like randomized elements of Fighting Fantasy
gamebooks. However, the stories and characters in an Endless Quest book, while not necessarily more complex than in a Choose Your Own Adventure book, are often more fully developed because the Endless Quest books are much longer. For example, the character referred to as "you" in the text almost always has a name, gender, and backstory. The result is that the books in the Endless Quest series resemble miniature novels with many different endings.
The majority of the books in the series were based on Dungeons & Dragons
, but some were based on other TSR games (e.g. Gamma World
, Top Secret) or even licensed properties (e.g. Conan
, Tarzan
)
Mirrorstone, a division of Wizards of the Coast
that publishes fantasy fiction for children and teens, began republishing the Endless Quest series in January 2008. The first book in the series is a revision of Claw of the Dragon (#34 from Series One) They have updated the book including making it gender neutral so it can be enjoyed by both boys and girls, and plan to update and publish more of the D&D books pending the success of this first title.
* These were never released. The Test was written, turned in and ready to print but dropped at the last minute. Sands of Deception was written, but dropped as well.
starting with the fourth book; these books added a more complex game system to stories which otherwise share the same style with the Endless Quest books. A bookmark-style insert was provided with simple Dungeons & Dragons statistics for the book's main character, and a dice-rolling mechanic was added for determining the character's fate within the story.
The Fantasy Forest
series of gamebooks (1982–1983) is quite similar to the Endless Quest books, but it is aimed at a somewhat younger audience.
Other similar series from TSR included HeartQuest
(interactive romances, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons), Catacombs Solo Quest (more complex again than Super Endless Quest) and 1 on 1 Adventure Gamebooks that were each a pair of books for two players/readers.
TSR also used the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks
format for books tied in to their Marvel Super Heroes roleplaying game, published as single-character Adventure Gamebooks, and later as 1 on 1 Adventure Gamebooks, and featuring licensed Marvel Comics
characters.
#39 (March 1983). Rowland rated Pillars of Pentegarn as 5 out of 10, Mountain of Mirrors as 4 out of 10, Dungeon of Dread as 6 out of 10, and Return to Brookmere as 7 out of 10. Rowland also reviewed the next two books in the series, giving both Revolt of the Dwarves and Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons 5 out of 10.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
. These books were the result of an Educational department established by TSR to develop curriculum programs for reading, math, history, and problem solving.
The first series of 36 books was released from 1982 to 1987, the second series of 13 from 1994 to 1996.
These were respectively the first and last gamebooks released by TSR. A short spin-off series of 4 Endless Quest: Crimson Crystal Adventures books were also released during 1985. There were also several series of similar books that did not bear the Endless Quest name.
The mechanics of these books involved simple choices in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. The series was based on a...
books, rather than the game-like randomized elements of Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebooks. However, the stories and characters in an Endless Quest book, while not necessarily more complex than in a Choose Your Own Adventure book, are often more fully developed because the Endless Quest books are much longer. For example, the character referred to as "you" in the text almost always has a name, gender, and backstory. The result is that the books in the Endless Quest series resemble miniature novels with many different endings.
The majority of the books in the series were based on Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, but some were based on other TSR games (e.g. Gamma World
Gamma World
Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:...
, Top Secret) or even licensed properties (e.g. Conan
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
)
Mirrorstone, a division of Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
that publishes fantasy fiction for children and teens, began republishing the Endless Quest series in January 2008. The first book in the series is a revision of Claw of the Dragon (#34 from Series One) They have updated the book including making it gender neutral so it can be enjoyed by both boys and girls, and plan to update and publish more of the D&D books pending the success of this first title.
Endless Quest: Series One
| # | Title | Setting | Author | Published | Cover art | Interior art | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dungeon of Dread | D&D | Rose Estes Rose Estes Rose Estes is the author of many fantasy and science fiction books, including full length novels and multiple choice gamebooks.-Career:After contributing extensively to TSR, Inc.'s Dungeons and Dragons Endless Quest series , she wrote her first full length novel, Children of the Dragon... |
June, 1982 | Larry Elmore Larry Elmore Larry Elmore is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, and the comic strip series SnarfQuest... |
Jim Holloway Jim Holloway (artist) -Background:Jim Holloway was self taught in illustration, although he was able to study some oil paintings by his father.-Works:Jim Holloway has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1981, as well as cover art for The Land Beyond the... |
|
| 2 | Mountain of Mirrors | D&D | Rose Estes | June, 1982 | Larry Elmore | Jim Holloway | |
| 3 | Pillars of Pentegarn | D&D | Rose Estes | June, 1982 | Larry Elmore | Harry J Quinn | |
| 4 | Return to Brookmere | D&D | Rose Estes | June, 1982 | Larry Elmore | Timothy Truman Timothy Truman Timothy Truman is an American writer, artist and musician. He is best known for his stories and Wild West-style comic book art, and in particular, for his work on Grimjack , Scout, and the reinvention of Jonah Hex, with Joe R. Lansdale... |
|
| 5 | Revolt of the Dwarves | D&D | Rose Estes | Jan, 1983 | Larry Elmore | Jim Holloway | |
| 6 | Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons | D&D | Rose Estes | Jan, 1983 | Larry Elmore | Harry J Quinn | |
| 7 | Hero of Washington Square | Top Secret | Rose Estes | May, 1983 | Jeff Easley Jeff Easley Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:... |
Timothy Truman | |
| 8 | Villains of Volturnus | Star Frontiers Star Frontiers Star Frontiers is a science fiction role-playing game produced by TSR beginning in 1982. The game offered a space-opera action-adventure setting.- Setting :... |
Jean Blashfield | May, 1983 | Larry Elmore | Jim Roslof Jim Roslof James Paul "Jim" Roslof was an American artist and graphic designer particularly well known for cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of Dungeons & Dragons... |
|
| 9 | Robbers and Robots | Top Secret | Mike Carr | July, 1983 | Larry Elmore | Vernon Posey | |
| 10 | Circus of Fear | D&D | Rose Estes | July, 1983 | Keith Parkinson Keith Parkinson Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:... |
Kevin Nichols Kevin Nichols Kevin John Nichols is a former track cyclist and Olympic gold medallist.-Career:At the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles, Nichols was a member of the gold winning pursuit team. Nichols also competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1980 Summer Olympics.-References:* , from sports-reference.com;... |
|
| 11 | Spell of the Winter Wizard | D&D | Linda Lowery | Aug, 1983 | Larry Elmore | Jeffrey R. Busch | |
| 12 | Light on Quests Mountain | Gamma World Gamma World Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:... |
Mary L. Kirchoff James M. Ward |
Aug, 1983 | Keith Parkinson | Steve McAfee | |
| 13 | Dragon of Doom | D&D | Rose Estes | Nov, 1983 | Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell is an American artist. Self described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters.-Early life:... |
Harry J Quinn | |
| 14 | Raid on Nightmare Castle | D&D | Catherine McGuire | Nov, 1983 | Jeff Easley Jeff Easley Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:... |
Jim Holloway | |
| 15 | Under Dragon's Wing | D&D | John Kendall | Feb, 1984 | Larry Elmore | Sam Grainger Sam Grainger Samuel E. Grainger was an American comic book artist best known as a Marvel Comics inker during the 1960s and 1970s periods fans and historians call, respectively, the Silver Age and the Bronze Age of Comic Books... |
|
| 16 | The Dragon's Ransom | D&D | Laura French | Feb, 1984 | Clyde Caldwell | Doug Chaffee | |
| 17 | Captive Planet | Star Frontiers | Morris Simon | Jul, 1984 | Clyde Caldwell | Sam Grainger | |
| 18 | King's Quest | D&D | Tom McGowen | Jul, 1984 | Ben Otero | Kevin Nichols Kevin Nichols Kevin John Nichols is a former track cyclist and Olympic gold medallist.-Career:At the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles, Nichols was a member of the gold winning pursuit team. Nichols also competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and 1980 Summer Olympics.-References:* , from sports-reference.com;... |
|
| 19 | Conan the Undaunted | Hyborian Age Hyborian Age The Hyborian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian are set.... |
James M. Ward | Jun, 1984 | Clyde Caldwell | Doug Chaffee | |
| 20 | Conan and the Prophecy | Hyborian Age | Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:... |
Jun, 1984 | Keith Parkinson | Sam Grainger | |
| 21 | Duel of the Masters | D&D | Chris Martindale | Sept, 1984 | Clyde Caldwell | Keith Parkinson | |
| 22 | The Endless Catacombs | D&D | Margaret Weis Margaret Weis Margaret Edith Weis is a fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in fantastic worlds.-Early life:Margaret Weis was born in 1948 in Independence, Missouri, and later attended... |
Sept, 1984 | Jeff Easley | Jeff Easley | |
| 23 | Blade of the Young Samurai | D&D | Morris Simon | Nov, 1984 | Clyde Caldwell | Gary Williams | |
| 24 | Trouble on Artule | Star Frontiers | Catherine McGuire | Nov, 1984 | Jeff Easley | Mitchell O'Connell | |
| 25 | Conan the Outlaw | Hyborian Age | Roger E. Moore | Dec, 1984 | Keith Parkinson | Ron Randall | |
| 26 | Tarzan and the Well of Slaves | Tarzan Tarzan Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer... |
Douglas Niles Douglas Niles Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and... |
Jan, 1985 | Larry Elmore | Ben Otero | |
| 27 | Lair of the Lich | D&D | Bruce Algozin | Mar, 1985 | Jeff Easley | Jim Roslof Jim Roslof James Paul "Jim" Roslof was an American artist and graphic designer particularly well known for cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of Dungeons & Dragons... |
|
| 28 | Mystery of the Ancients | Gamma World | Morris Simon | May, 1985 | Keith Parkinson | Doug Chaffee | |
| 29 | Tower of Darkness | D&D | Regina Oehler Fultz | Jul, 1985 | Jeff Easley | Mark Nelson Mark Nelson (artist) Mark A. Nelson is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games and comic books.-Works:Mark Nelson has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1985... |
|
| 30 | The Fireseed | D&D | Morris Simon | Oct, 1985 | Larry Elmore | Jeffrey Butler Jeff Butler Jeff Butler is an American illustrator and comic book artist. Butler worked with the art department of TSR, Inc... |
|
| 31 | Tarzan and the Tower of Diamonds | Tarzan | Richard Reinsmith | Dec, 1985 | Jeff Easley | Jeffrey Butler | |
| 32 | Prisoner of Elderwood | D&D | Bruce Algozin | Feb, 1986 | Jeff Easley | Gary Williams | |
| 33 | Knight of Illusion | D&D | Mary L. Kirchoff | Jun, 1986 | Clyde Caldwell | Sam Grainger Jim Holloway |
|
| 34 | Claw of the Dragon | D&D | Bruce Algozin | Sept, 1986 | Clyde Caldwell | Stephen Fabian Stephen Fabian -Career:Fabian specializes in science fiction and fantasy illustration and cover art for books and magazines. Fabian also produced artwork for TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game from 1986 to 1995, particularly on the Ravenloft line. He was self-taught, two of his primary influences being Virgil Finlay... |
|
| 35 | Vision of Doom | D&D | Mary L. Kirchoff | Dec, 1986 | Ben Otero | George Barr George Barr (artist) George Barr is a US science fiction and fantasy artist.-Career:Barr's work shows influences from Arthur Rackham, Hannes Bok and Virgil Finlay. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction describes him as one of the least appreciated SF/fantasy artists. His work is often romantic and whimsical... |
|
| 36 | Song of the Dark Druid | D&D | Josepha Sherman Josepha Sherman Josepha Sherman is an American author. In 1990 she won the Compton Crook Award for the novel The Shining Falcon.-Buffyverse:*Visitors *Deep Water ... |
March, 1987 | Jeff Easley | Jim Holloway |
Collectors' sets
- contains Books 1–4, ISBN 0-88038-056-X
- contains Books 5–8, ISBN 0-88038-057-8
- contains Books 9–12, ISBN 0-88038-163-9
- contains Books 13–16 no ISBN
Endless Quest: Crimson Crystal Adventures
TSR also released a spin-off series of four Endless Quest: Crimson Crystal Adventures books during 1985. These books add a small twist in the form of a clear sheet of red plastic which comes stapled to the inside. This plastic piece is removed and then overlaid on top of certain portions of the book to reveal hidden images (by acting as an optical filter).| # | Title | Setting | Author | Published | Cover art | Interior art | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riddle of the Griffon | D&D | Susan Lawson (pseudonym for Margaret Weis Margaret Weis Margaret Edith Weis is a fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in fantastic worlds.-Early life:Margaret Weis was born in 1948 in Independence, Missouri, and later attended... and Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:... ) |
March, 1985 | Keith Parkinson Keith Parkinson Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:... |
Mario D. Macari, Jr. Gary Williams |
|
| 2 | Search for the Pegasus | D&D | Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:... |
March, 1985 | Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell is an American artist. Self described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters.-Early life:... |
Mario D. Macari, Jr. Gary Williams |
|
| 3 | Renegades of Luntar | Generic Sci-Fi Science fiction Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities... |
Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:... |
June, 1985 | Keith Parkinson | Mario D. Macari, Jr. | |
| 4 | Stop that Witch! | D&D | Mary Clark | September, 1985 | Keith Parkinson | Mario D. Macari, Jr. |
Endless Quest: Series Two
The second series differed from the first in several ways: they were printed in smaller type; the section numbers were independent of the page numbers; they were based on different original games; and they were not officially numbered (collectors and gamers use the numbering shown below, continuing from series one, for convenience).| # | Title | Setting | Author | Published | Cover art | Interior art | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Dungeon of Fear | Dragon Strike DragonStrike (board game) DragonStrike was a 1993 adventure board game from TSR, Inc. based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Details:The DragonStrike Entertainment product, which included a 30-minute video explaining the concept of role-playing, was intended as an approach to gain new players, serving as... |
Michael Andrews Michael Andrews Michael Andrews may refer to:* Michael Andrews , British artist* Michael Andrews , US musician* Michael Andrews , Australian rugby league footballer* Michael A... |
1994 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra Terry Dykstra -Works:Terry Dykstra has produced interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine throughout the 1990s.Dykstra also illustrated a number of Endless Quest series books.-External links:*... |
|
| 38 | Castle of the Undead | AD&D Ravenloft Ravenloft Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called domains brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark... |
George Barr | 1994 | Clyde Caldwell | Terry Dykstra | |
| 39 | Secret of the Djinn | AD&D Al-Qadim Al-Qadim Al-Qadim is an Arabian Nights-themed campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The setting was developed by Jeff Grubb for TSR, Inc., and was first released in 1992. Al-Qadim is set in the land of Zakhara, called the Land of Fate... |
Jean Rabe Jean Rabe Jean Rabe is a fantasy and sci-fi author and editor who has worked on the Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and BattleTech series, as well as many others.-Career:... |
1994 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | |
| 40 | The Siege of the Tower | AD&D Greyhawk Greyhawk Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game... |
Kem Antillies | 1994 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | |
| 41 | A Wild Ride | Wildspace Spelljammer Spelljammer is a campaign setting for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, which features a fantastical outer space environment.... |
Louis Anderson Louis Anderson Louis Anderson is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for Warrington Wolves of Super League. A New Zealand international representative forward, he previously played for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition... |
1994 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | |
| 42 | Forest of Darkness | Dragon Strike | Michael Andrews | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | ||
| 43 | American Knights | Gamma World | Nick Pollotta Nick Pollotta Nick Pollotta is an American author. The majority of his work has been published by Gold Eagle Books under house names "James Axler" and "Don Pendelton".He lives in Chicago with his wife, Melissa.- 1991 :* DOOMSDAY EXAM, Fantasy/Humor... |
1995 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | |
| 44 | Night of the Tiger | AD&D Ravenloft | Jean Rabe | 1995 | Roger Loveless | Terry Dykstra | |
| 45 | Galactic Challenge | Amazing Engine Amazing Engine Amazing Engine was a series of role-playing game books that was published by TSR, Inc. from 1993 until 1994.Each publication employed the same minimalist generic rules, as described in the Amazing Engine System Guide, but each world book had an entirely different setting or genre... |
Allen Varney Allen Varney Allen Varney is an American writer and game designer born in St. Louis, Missouri. He has a dual B.A. in English and History from the University of Nevada, Reno.... |
1995 | Dennis Kauth | Terry Dykstra | |
| 46 | Bigby's Bigby (Greyhawk) Bigby is an archmage in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Before the Greyhawk Wars, Bigby made his home in Scant, capital of Onnwal. Nowadays, he can often be found in Mitrik, Veluna... Curse |
AD&D Greyhawk | Anne K. Brown | 1995 | Jeff Easley | Terry Dykstra | |
| 47 | The 24-Hour War | Gamma World | Nick Pollotta Nick Pollotta Nick Pollotta is an American author. The majority of his work has been published by Gold Eagle Books under house names "James Axler" and "Don Pendelton".He lives in Chicago with his wife, Melissa.- 1991 :* DOOMSDAY EXAM, Fantasy/Humor... |
1995 | Keith Parkinson | Terry Dykstra | |
| 48 | The Test* | AD&D Greyhawk | Wes Nicholson | 1996 | |||
| 49 | Sands of Deception* | AD&D Al-Qadim | Jean Rabe | 1996 |
* These were never released. The Test was written, turned in and ready to print but dropped at the last minute. Sands of Deception was written, but dropped as well.
Related series
The related Super Endless Quest series changed its name to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure GamebooksAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks is a series of 18 gamebooks published from 1985 to 1988. The series was initially titled Super Endless Quest as the books added a more complex game system to stories which otherwise share the same style with the Endless Quest books...
starting with the fourth book; these books added a more complex game system to stories which otherwise share the same style with the Endless Quest books. A bookmark-style insert was provided with simple Dungeons & Dragons statistics for the book's main character, and a dice-rolling mechanic was added for determining the character's fate within the story.
The Fantasy Forest
Fantasy Forest
Fantasy Forest is the name of a series of ten Choose Your Own Adventure style gamebooks, published by TSR, Inc. from 1983 to 1984. They are aimed at younger readers and mostly take place in the fantasy world of the popular Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, except for two which are set in the...
series of gamebooks (1982–1983) is quite similar to the Endless Quest books, but it is aimed at a somewhat younger audience.
Other similar series from TSR included HeartQuest
HeartQuest
HeartQuest was a series of six interactive novels published by TSR, Inc. for young teenagers during the 80s. The series was a spin-off from their main Endless Quest series set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons...
(interactive romances, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons), Catacombs Solo Quest (more complex again than Super Endless Quest) and 1 on 1 Adventure Gamebooks that were each a pair of books for two players/readers.
TSR also used the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks is a series of 18 gamebooks published from 1985 to 1988. The series was initially titled Super Endless Quest as the books added a more complex game system to stories which otherwise share the same style with the Endless Quest books...
format for books tied in to their Marvel Super Heroes roleplaying game, published as single-character Adventure Gamebooks, and later as 1 on 1 Adventure Gamebooks, and featuring licensed Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
characters.
Reception
The first four Endless Quest books were reviewed by Marcus Rowland in White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
#39 (March 1983). Rowland rated Pillars of Pentegarn as 5 out of 10, Mountain of Mirrors as 4 out of 10, Dungeon of Dread as 6 out of 10, and Return to Brookmere as 7 out of 10. Rowland also reviewed the next two books in the series, giving both Revolt of the Dwarves and Revenge of the Rainbow Dragons 5 out of 10.
External links
- Official publishers site of the 2008 revisions of the series
- Demian's Endless Quest page
- Series 1, Series 2 and Crimson Crystal Adventures at the Internet Book List