Balboa Game Company Inc.

 

Warlock by Robert Cowan, Dave Clark, Kenneth M. Dahl and Nick Smith.

34pp Loose leaf in folder (1 copy known to exist.)

Published in 1975 for playtesting by the Pasadena Playtest Group, Pasadena, California.

 

A draft manuscript produced for playtesting Warlock, an alternative to the emerging Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, for fantasy role-playing games. Later published in part, in Spartan Magazine #9 (August 1975), and formally published 3 years later as The Complete Warlock. While Balboa spent 2 years playtesting and editing Warlock, TSR Inc. established a dominant position for Dungeons & Dragons in the RPG market. Balboa's manuscript was finally published as 'a major D&D variant', a decision that landed them in court. Image and information courtesy of Brian Wagner.

.

 

Instant Bad Guys! by Pasadena Playtest Group.

44pp Book with card cover.

Published in 1977 by Balboa Game Co. Inc., Bellflower, California.

 

2400 pregenerated NPCs for use with Original D&D rules. 40 pages of statistics only.

.

The Complete Warlock by Robert Cowan, Dave Clark, Kenneth M. Dahl and Nick Smith.

60pp Book with card cover.

Published in 1978 by Balboa Game Co. Inc., Long Beach, California.

 

Lawrence Schick wrote "Basically an unauthorized complete revision of portions of the Original D&D rules, consolidating previous rules expansions into one volume, with a few new spells and rules added. Understandably TSR gave Balboa some legal hassle over this publication." Heroic Worlds.

.

The Monkey God's Curse by Jim Eckman.

28pp Book with card cover.

Published in 1979 by Balboa Game Co. Inc., Long Beach, California.

 

Lawrence Schick wrote "Solo scenario partially inspired by The Maltese Falcon, a dungeon for D&D-style systems for one character of level 4-7." Heroic Worlds.

.

Warlock's Tower by Kenneth M. Dahl, Mike Lowry, Pat Shea and Nick Smith.

80pp Book with card cover.

Published in 1979 by Balboa Game Co. Inc., Long Beach, California.

 

Lawrence Schick wrote "Supplement for use with The Complete Warlock of new monsters, rules for thieves, spells and magic items of all types." Heroic Worlds.

.

The Warlock Menagerie by Kenneth M. Dahl and Nick Smith.

52pp Book with card cover.

Published in 1980 by Balboa Game Co. Inc., Long Beach, California.

 

Lawrence Schick wrote "Supplement for use with The Complete Warlock. Describes over 100 monsters; includes sections on magic items, special weapons, poison, arms for monsters, and how to covert monsters from fiction for use in games." Heroic Worlds. Image coutesy of Mark Petrick.

 

 

  Can you help fill in the blanks?

  E-mail me, please.