What is "alarums and excursions"

n. 1 All the sounds and activities of preparations for war 2 in general, any frantic activity.

Alarums and Excursions'' (A&E'') is an amateur press association started in June 1975 by Lee Gold (at the request of Bruce Pelz, who felt that discussion of Dungeons & Dragons was taking up too much space in APA-L, the APA of Los Angeles's SF Fandom, usually collated at the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society). It was the first publication to focus solely on role-playing games.

Each issue is a collection of contributions from different authors, often featuring game design discussions, rules variants, write-ups of game sessions, reviews, and comments on others contributions. It was a four-time winner of the Charles Roberts/ Origins Award, winning "Best Amateur Adventure Gaming Magazine" in 1984, "Best Amateur Game Magazine" in 1999, and "Best Amateur Game Periodical" in 2000 and 2001.

Although game reports and social reactions are common parts of many A&E contributions, it has also, over the years, become a testing ground for new ideas on the development of the RPG as a genre and an art form. The idea that role-playing games are an art form took strong root in this zine, and left a lasting impression on many of the RPG professionals who contributed.

The July 2013 collation of Alarums and Excursions was #466.

Over the years, contributors have included:

• Wilf K. Backhaus
• Greg Costikyan
• John M. Ford
• E. Gary Gygax
• David A. Hargrave
• Rob Heinsoo
• John Eric Holmes
• Robin Laws
• Steve Marsh
• Phil McGregor
• Dave Nalle
• Mark Rein·Hagen
• John T. Sapienza, Jr.
• Edward E. Simbalist
• Jonathan Tweet
• Erick Wujcik
• John Nephew
• Spike Y Jones
• Doc Cross
• Scott Bennie
• Ken Rolston
• Nicole Lindroos
• Terry K. Amthor
• Wes Ives

The role-playing game Over the Edge was inspired by discussions in A&E.

"Alarums and excursions" is a stage direction for the moving of soldiers across a stage, used in Elizabethan drama.