Worlds of Wonder (game)

The game came as a boxed set that contained:

• a 16-page booklet Basic Role-Playing
• a 16-page booklet Magic World
• a 16-page booklet Superworld
• a 16-page booklet Future World
• a 4-page leaflet explaining how to join the games together, using a neutral crossroads called the "City of Wonder" that would allow characters to move between the three RPGs. Money from each setting could be converted to other worlds' currencies in the city.
• a 2-page map of the "City of Wonder"
• a 4-page leaflet with reference tables
• a cardboard sheet of figures to be cut out and used as figurines
• a 4-sided die, three 6-sided dice, an 8-sided die, and a 20-sided die

The Basic Role-Playing booklet was a summary of the game system devised by Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis in 1980.

The Magic World booklet, written by Steve Perrin and Gordon Monson, is a fantasy RPG similar to Dungeons & Dragons and RuneQuest. It contains game rules specific to this world such as the use of magic. Initial characters can start as one of four professions (Warriors, Rogues, Sages and Sorcerers) and one of the standard Tolkienesque fantasy races, such as dwarfs, trolls, goblins, and elves.[1]

In most other RPGs to that time, the spellcaster cast a spell and success required the target to fail a saving throw. In Magic World, casting a spell is a skill much like picking a lock or swinging a sword — the spellcaster achieves success with a good skill roll.[1] (This system was later incorporated into the third edition of RuneQuest.)

The last three pages of the booklet contain a sample adventure.[1]

Later in 2012, Chaosium would publish Magic World as a stand alone game.

The Future World booklet, also written by Perrin and Monson, with interior and cover art by Rick Becker, is a science fiction setting similar to Traveller by Game Designers Workshop. Like Traveller, the Chaosium setting employs a large interstellar empire. Characters can start as members of one of six professions (Army, Civilian, Criminal, ICE, Scouts, or Science), and can choose human, several types of aliens (ursinoids, insectoids, and saurians), or a robot as their race.[1]

The booklet ends with a three-page adventure.[1]

The booklet for Superworld was written by Perrin and Steve Henderson, with interior and cover art by Roland Brown. The setting is the modern world, where, similar to the superhero RPGs Villains & Vigilantes and Champions, the player characters have superpowers. During character generation, these powers are bought with Hero Points. Hero Points can also be spent to raise characteristics like strength or dexterity. Additional Hero Points can be gained by taking disabilities like blindness or vulnerability to certain attacks.

The booklet ends with a three-page adventure.[1]

Superworld was the only RPG of the three included with this game to be published as a stand-alone game. However, up against several other well-established competitors, it never gained an audience, and publication was discontinued after only three supplements.[2]