Fred's World: An Original Campaign From One of D&D's First Playtesters

Updated 07/2026

Neither I, nor Portcullis, hold copyrights to this work. All rights and ownership belong to their respective creators.

Every gaming community has those mythical campaigns you hear about in whispers—the legendary settings built by DMs who poured endless passion into their craft, creating worlds that players talked about for decades. For our circle, that campaign was Fred’s World.

While I wasn't at Fred's table myself, his reputation as a Dungeon Master preceded him. He had a direct link to the very roots of the hobby, having played in Dave Arneson’s original Blackmoor campaign. That early, wild-west era of tabletop gaming clearly shaped Fred's approach: he built a rich, expansive, and delightfully unpredictable setting that left an indelible mark on everyone who had the chance to sit at his table.

A Legacy on a Floppy Disk

Years after Fred's campaign concluded, a good friend—James—decided that Fred’s World shouldn't just fade into memory.

James took it upon himself to act as a tabletop historian. He collected old campaign notes, maps, house rules, and character records, meticulously archiving them onto a 3.5-inch floppy disk. It was a true labor of love aimed at preserving a piece of local gaming history.

When James shared that disk, it felt like uncovering a forgotten artifact from a lost dungeon.

Enter at Your Own Risk

The artwork featured above was the original cover design James created for that archived collection back in 1987. The tagline on the cover said it all:

"Fred's World... Enter at your own risk."

From everything I heard, that tagline was a literal warning! Rooted in that old-school Blackmoor DNA, Fred’s world was infamous for its deadly traps, wild magic, and high-stakes encounters where clever thinking was the only thing keeping a party alive.

Preserving Tabletop History

Looking at Fred's World today, it stands as a fantastic testament to the early homebrew spirit of tabletop RPGs. Long before official campaign settings filled store shelves, DMs were building whole cosmos out of graph paper, binder sleeves, sheer imagination, and whatever ideas struck at 2:00 AM.

Updating this piece—and giving James's classic 1987 cover art a fresh coat of paint—is my way of tipping my hat to the DMs, the archivists, and the homebrew spirit that keeps this hobby alive.

What About Your Local Legends?

Is there a famous homebrew campaign in your gaming history—either one you ran, played in, or just heard legendary stories about? Drop a comment below and let's talk about the classic tables!

From the Campaign Guide's Introduction:

"And Now - The Campaign

You are standing on a hill overlooking the entrance to a large walled city. Off to your right you see a crystal blue lake, in the center of which stands a prominent castle flying a grey flag with white trim. On the flag you see two ruby red infinity symbols surrounding an equally red lightning bolt. You can sense a great deal of power emanating from this castle.

Your attention is drawn back to the city when the gates fly open. Through them you see a poor, wretched peasant racing down the street. He is glowing vibrant purple. “No!! No!! Not me!!” you hear him scream. “I didn’t do it!! I didn...” His cries are cut short, thanks to the archers on the wall. Not one inch of his body is penetrated with fewer than six arrows. But his falling body never hits the ground. Instead, it disappears with a thunderclap, leaving only a charred crater where it once had been. You now notice a figure standing on (or should I say, about a foot above) the wall. He is blowing a slight halo of smoke from his finger. As he places his hand back in the pocket of his robe, a voice booms “Ethelbert: 30,003, peasants: 0.”

You decide to proceed towards the city, though you feel quite apprehensive about it. When you begin to move, you notice a large shadow following you. Glancing skyward, you see a large golden dragon descending to meet you at the gates. When you reach the gates, he hands you a map and a single sheet of paper upon which is written:

And with that, you are set forth on your adventures into a campaign unlike many others. It is our hope that you enjoy this free offering for many game sessions to come.

Fred's World - First Edition Collection: Collection rehosted on Google Drive to make sure it is current and working.

You can join Fred's World on Facebook for up to date information and shared stories from other players and DM's.

Fred's World on Facebook

We would like to give a special thanks to, Glenn Kurkosky, for contacting us here at Portcullis and sharing this fantastic campaign setting with us. Much appreciated, Glenn!