Arduin Week - 2020 - Day One

Today begins Arduin Week - 2020 - which will cluminate in David "Dave" Allen Hargrave Day on May 25th his birthday. He was born on May 25, 1946 and passed away on August 29, 1988 at only 42 years of age. That accounts for how little is known about him and why Arduin is rather hidden from view. Even a few years ago there was more information available on the Internet than now, as web sites die and fans pass away. His friend Paul Mosher passed away a few years ago and with him much of the information about Dave and about Arduin. 

There are very few pictures of Dave Hargrave around these days, in fact, this is the only clear picture that I have ever seen. It is my belief that now is the time for all those who knew Dave and who experienced his refereeing first hand to share there experiences and memories. Not just of Arduin, but also of Dave. You do not have to post it directly, I would be most pleased to share anything you would like to have shared here on this blog. Please join me this week in honoring the memory of Dave Hargrave and of Arduin.

This is the original cover of The Arduin Grimoire by Erol Otus a fantastic old school artist that early D&D fans will remember. This cover appeared on the first two printing and then was replaced at the time of what I believe was the third printing by this image.

The following information and more can be found at Arduin on Wikipedia. As a side note the following comment appears on the Wiki page:

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

Anyone who can supply citations for each bit of information, please do so, that the page may be updated and nothing deleted.

Arduin is a fictional universe and fantasy role-playing system created in the mid-1970s by David A. Hargrave. It was the first published "cross-genre" fantasy RPG, with everything from interstellar wars to horror and historical drama, although it was based primarily in the medieval fantasy genre.

In all fairness, Dave Arneson's Blackmoor was also "cross-genre" fantasy and in a strange coincidence both The Arduin Grimoire and The First Fantasy Campaign were both published in 1977. I do not know what month each was published. IMO Dave Arneson and Dave Hargrave were kindred spirits. I do not know how much Hargrave knew about Blackmoor, but the two campaign worlds have much in common. As did their creators, they were both powerfully creative and both legendary as referees. 

Blackmoor of course was created and lead to Dungeons & Dragons. The Arduin Grimoire started out as a fan produced supplement to Dungeons & Dragons according to the customs of the wargaming community where a lot of sharing and use of each others material occurred. But MONEY was now in the picture and TSR fired off a letter to Hargrave and as a result Hargrave made some very minor changes and removed a few references and kept right on publishing. That is the prime cause of Arduin evolving into a game of its own with its own mechanics.

I will now post a piece of fan art that was created specially for and only to honor David "Dave" A. Hargrave for Arduin Week. The artist wishes to remain anonymous at this time and retains all rights to this work. Two artists worked on this, one to create the illustration and one to provide the background color and frame. So I am using this image with permission from the artist.

There will be additional pieces shared throughout Arduin Week.

If anyone has information that should be added or corrected for the David A. Hargrave  Wikipedia page or the Arduin page linked above. Please provide the information along with any citations that you may have.

David Allen Hargrave (May 25, 1946 – August 29, 1988), known as The Dream Weaver, was a prolific and sometimes controversial game designer and writer of fantasy and science fiction role-playing games (RPGs). Hargrave's most notable written works were based upon his own mythical world of Arduin.

Is there any cooler nickname than "The Dream Weaver?"

Hargrave served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War for six years, serving from August 28, 1964 through August 20, 1970. While in Vietnam, Hargrave regularly served as a combat photographer, often in the line of fire. 

This greatly affected the design and feel of Arduin and Hargrave was considered one of the greatest of referees and by all accounts he was every bit the equal of Arneson and Gygax in that arena.

Around 1979, Hargrave operated a game store in Concord, California, called Multiversal Trading Company.

Business card for Hargrave's store.

The Multiversal Trading Company and its neighboring businesses all fell victim to a decision by the city to push all of those businesses out and re-purpose the entire neighborhood.

For years, Hargrave had suffered a heart disability with diabetic complications. He died in his sleep August 29, 1988. He was survived by his wife, Brigitte Hargrave.

David A. Hargrave's Golden Gate National Cemetery' grave marker

Bibliography

The Arduin Grimoire (Arduin Grimoire Volume 1)

Welcome to Skull Tower (Arduin Grimoire Volume 2)

The Runes of Doom (Arduin Grimoire Volume 3)

The Lost Grimoire (Arduin Grimoire Volume 4)

Dark Dreams (Arduin Grimoire Volume 5)

The House of the Rising Sun (Arduin Grimoire Volume 6)

Shadow Lands (Arduin Grimoire Volume 7)

The Winds of Chance (Arduin Grimoire Volume 8)

The Arduin Adventure

Arduin Dungeon No. 1: Caliban

Arduin Dungeon No. 2: The Howling Tower

Arduin Dungeon No. 3: The Citadel of Thunder

Arduin Dungeon No. 4: Death Heart

The Arduin Primer

The Compleat Arduin Book 1 The Rules

The Compleat Arduin Book 2 Resources

The Arduin Map: A 2' × 3' four color poster-sized map of the Country of Arduin printed on parchment complete with legend and scale.

Vaults of the Weaver: A compilation of the 4 Arduin Dungeons along with Hive Home (the only example of a Phraint Hive ever completed by their creator David A. Hargrave) and the 13 part Heart of Darkness campaign, both never before published. Vaults was compiled and co-authored by his friend Paul Mosher.

The Black Grimoire aka The Compleat Arduin Book 3 (All of Dave Hargrave's published spells.)

End War (Arduin Grimoire Volume 9)

World Book of Khaas: The Legendary Lands of Arduin; A world guide to the country of Arduin and the world and continent upon which it rests. 865 pages of world/campaign material. Unique for size and the absence of any game mechanics.

The Book of the Shining Land

The Book of Dreams of Lost Sardath

Lancer's Rest

Swords and Dragons: Fantasy Card Game; Fantasy themed card game from the world of Arduin

Black Devil Mountain (found in The Asylum and Other Tales from Chaosium)

Dark Carnival (found in Curse of the Chthonians from Chaosium)

Arduin Bloody Arduin (found in Different Worlds magazine issue #2)

All the Worlds' Monsters Volumes 1, 2 and 3 (from Chaosium).

Star Rovers Module 1 (Sci-Fi RPG from Archive Miniatures and Game Systems, 1981)