Rare Dave Arneson Approved 1978 OD&D Supplement Resurfaces!

 

The Infernax of Spells, Necromancy and Black Magic was published in 1978 by Attack International Wargaming Association. My friend Big Mac from The Piazza D&D Forum poited me to this obscure supplement to OD&D. Interestingly the cover states that this book was indeed approved by David L. Arneson. Furthermore, Dave Arneson fans will note that the book includes an introduction by Dave Arneson written in March 1978 and carrying the D&D Co-Creator's signature. 

The book is credited to Dave M. Casciano, M. Fisher,  and G. Mangene. It is a 40 page booklet in a style similar to that of the 1974 Dungeons & Dragons booklets and supplements. The book contains a new magic system for OD&D, New Spells, New rules for damage and non-lethal combat and three new character classes. The classes were the Beast Master, the Trader and a combined class for Outlaws and Brigands. The book also included new monsters and rules  for Magic User Strongholds.

The Infernax includes some fairly provocative elements that many religious readers might take offence to. This book was published a year before the disappearance of  James Dallas Egbert III, but this is the sort of thing that the people behind the misguided Satanic Panic in the 1980s would have loved to use as evidence for their wild claims about D&D being harmful to young gamers. Dave Arneson and many of his friends were fairly religious so I am a little surprised that he would have been okay with this, but it is possible that he didn't see the final product or he may have just shrugged it off as just being part of the game. 

Adding the D&D logo under Dave Arneson's name was a quite sneaky way of promoting this book. There are apparently copies in existence with this logo blacked out and some suggest that the author Dave M. Casciano may have done this after being contacted by TSR.

Do you have a copy of the Infernax or do you know anything more about it let me know?

There is more to explore about this book, its contents, Dave Arneson's involvement and more of its history, but I will leave that for later as I continue to investigate this sourcebook. Stay tuned!

Further Reading:

• https://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=18723
• https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147392015/Infernax-of-Spells-Necromancy-and-Black-Magic-The
• https://tomeoftreasures.com/tot_nontsr/casciano/dave_casciano_co.htm
• https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/star-raider-attack-wargaming-505965293

-Havard