Speaking of D&D, this is what its publisher, Flying Buffalo, Inc., calls a D&D variant but would be better described as a D&D imitation, as you do not need to have or read D&D in order to play T&T. It is an 8 1/2"x 11" booklet of 42 pages, plus covers, of photo-offset-printed typewriting. It well written and designed by Ken St. Andre and very nicely illustrated by Robin Carver.

Essentially it is a slightly simpler version of D&D, with some differences in handling or interpreting various aspects. Characters may be one of three types: Warrior, magicuser or rogue. The latter. displacing D&D's cleric, can both fight and use magic, but they don't know any spells to start with, and must learn them, one at a time, from a magic user. Also, rogues may only advance 7 levels, after which they must change to either warrior or magic user. T&T saves a lot of space by not listing the characteristics of various monsters, but merely providing guidelines for designing your own.

A very comprehensive list of weapons is provided however, and a good assortment of spells. This game is well conceived and well written, with a nice touch of humor. It would be just the thing for those interested in trying a D&D-type game at small investment and for all D&D fanatics, especially game masters in search of new ideas and alternative approaches. T&T sells for a very reasonable $3.00 and is available from Flying Buffalo Inc., PO Box 1467, Scottsdale AZ 85252.

T&T Supplement

D&D has supplements so a D&D imitation should too, and does. It is 8 1/2 x 11" and consists of 10 pages (1 blank) plus covers. It is written by Ken St. Andre and nicely illustrated by Liz Danforth, and covers the following subjects: revised rules for armor and shields; marksmanship with missile weapons; determining size and weight of characters and monsters; a quick treasure generation chart; a charisma effects table; and a means of allocating experience points to monsters in case you want to have monster characters. All very nicely done. If you're getting T&T you might as well go first class and get the Supplement too. It's only $1.00 and, of course, is also available from Flying Buffalo, Inc.

More Thumbnail Analysis

Game Review: Caesar's Legions (ancients)
Game Review: Revisions to Tobruk (WWII)
Game Review: Blackmoor (Fantasy)
Game Review: Tunnels and Trolls (Fantasy)
Game Review: White Bear and Red Moon (Fantasy)
Game Review: Viva (Mexican Revolution)
Game Review: Siege of Port Arthur (Russo-Japanese War)
Game Review: Battle of the Pyramids (Napoleonic)
Game Review: Unit Counters and Mapping Symbols