Elder Tunnels
Elder Tunnels is a role-playing game magazine that was published by Peryton Publishing starting in 2008. Originally its main focus was the fantasy role-playing game Tunnels & Trolls (T&T) published by Flying Buffalo; later, it embraced other games.
Publication history
Tunnels & Trolls was first published by Flying Buffalo in 1975, shortly after the release of Dungeons & Dragons by TSR. T&T underwent several revisions. After Fiery Dragon Productions released version 7.5 in time for the game's 30th anniversary in 2008, Tom K. Loney and Christina Lea gained permission from Flying Buffalo to publish materials compatible with and for use with T&T.[1] They subsequently created the magazine Elder Tunnels to focus on T&T; the first issue was published by Peryton Press in 2008.
Content included contributions from Tunnels & Trolls' creator Ken St. Andre, as well as independent writers of T&T material produced in cooperation with St. Andre and/or Flying Buffalo, such as Brian Penn, Michael Eidson and David Crowell, as well as other game designers such as Scott Malthouse (who as part of Rebellion UnpluggedTemplate:Sndwhich bought the T&T intellectual property in 2023Template:Sndhelped design Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age, the first new version of T&T since 2015).[2] Staff illustrators included Jeff Freels, Mike Hartlieb, Régis Moulun, and Simon Tranter.
Between 2008 and 2012, the first seven issues focused on T&T before the magazine then ceased publication.
After a publishing hiatus of seven years, Peryton Publishing released three more issues between 2019 and 2021. These issues shifted the focus to other gaming systems, including scenarios for Monsters! Monsters!Template:SndKen St. Andre's monsters-based derivative of T&TTemplate:Snd as well as Jerry Teleha's Stay Alive! modern action rules for T&T-style play, and Quick Ass Games System. These issues also featured content for use with Peryton Publishing's in-house game systems, including Crawlspace and Spacers.
In July 2021, Webbed Sphere purchased Flying Buffalo, which included Tunnels & Trolls, and terminated all licenses granted to third party publishing companies, including Peryton Publishing.[3] In response, Peryton Publishing removed the T&T name and brand from their previously published materials, and could not use the game name or content in future publications, including Elder Tunnels.[4]
Reception
In Issue 4.3 of the French games magazine Casus Belli, Patrice Greille identified Elder Tunnels as an excellent prozine, and called it "absolutely essential for anyone interested in T&T."[5]
As of June 2026, several issues of the magazine have earned Copper Best Seller rank at DriveThruRPG.[6]
References
- ↑ "Authorized Tunnels & Trolls Websites, Dealers and co-publishers". Flying Buffalo Inc.. https://deluxetunnelsandtrolls.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/authorized-tunnels-trolls-websites-dealers-and-co-publishers/.
- ↑ "Doubles Are Rolled Again". 6 March 2026. https://rebellionunplugged.com/doubles-are-rolled-again/.
- ↑ "Webbed Sphere Terminates Legacy 3rd Party Tunnels & Trolls Licenses". 23 March 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SvCnSlLzvA.
- ↑ "Anyone else had their 3rd party T&T stuff taken off DTRPG?". 16 April 2023. https://trollbridge.proboards.com/post/66562.
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ "Search results for Copper Best Seller Elder Tunnels issues from Peryton Publishing". https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/2586/peryton-publishing?ranking=copper&keyword=elder%20tunnels&src=browse2586.