Premium Reprints of the Original AD&D Rulebooks to Support Gygax Memorial Fund

Forgot to mention -- $45 MSRP for DMG, $35 MSRP for PH and MM.

S.

That's too bad. I already have all those....I would have liked a reprint of the original D&D woodgrain boxset though.

why not the original covers? those are part of the books' great appeal. and why the f'ck only in north america? grrrrrr

I already have em of course, but I might pick em up if they are nice since it's a cool thing to support.

I am sure the original Deities and Demigods won't be "originally printed". Damn Cthulhu book. I had an epic mint copy and it was permanently borred while I was living in Nashville.

Waiting to see whether 5th edition will be totally awesome or a total fucking joke /ode to WOW.

I'll tell you what, the killer add-on to the holy three is Unearthed Arcana. Just a great addition to the original rules.

I think this is going to be a quick money grab from us fifty-year-olds and then be gone (which is fine by the way -- it's an out of print game and a cheesy package by today's standards) so I don't think there's going to be additional material added at a later date.

But it's kind of cool that Wizards was even willing to risk reaching this deep into its pocket to bring out something, and for a pretty admirable reason. If it resparks interest in true role-playing that's great news. With three books and three boys I might just buy. But with about two feet of original AD&D books on my shelf it would be squandered money, even by boardgaming standards.

S.

I thought the Melnibonian and Nehwonian mythos that were the problem and not the Cthulhu ones in DEITIES & DEMIGODS. I didn't even play that game and I loved those books (my brother was a D&D guy).

The word at the time was that all three were trouble. All three were removed from subsequent printings.

S.

Yes due to Chaosium claiming the rights (if my memory serves me).

Also, since the only people who care are likely already looking in here: The word from the 5th ed. playtests at DDXP are looking pretty awesome. Modular rule set! Like there are core rules that are more in line with AD&D, then if you want more tactical stuff, you have rules for that or if you want more fleshed out skills you have rules for that, but only if you want them.

My question is will they be called devils and demons in MM, or will Wizards wimp out like TSR did way back in 2nd edition.

Hell I might get them for the artwork alone. I spent countless hours just reading those old books; the paladin cover art at the top of the page is classic, way better than stuff I have seen when looking at more recent books.

Tag me for the PH and the DMG. That's part of my childhood. Still have the MM and MMII. Still read them, as well.

That sounds cool. I signed up to be a beta tester but I need to keep up with the press. I am really hoping that Wizards of the Coast is really concerned with what fans are saying. I am not a fan of 3rd edition because you can become a superhero after level 9. Literally, I was playing a game with a rouge who was doing so much damage even when they rolled a 4 that the creatures were dead usually by the second round.

I am more a 2nd edition player but I do think the rules were wonky. Light me on fire but there are things I like about 4th edition but they went overboard so all the characters feel the same. I would like it if they went back to every class being unique, and add a limited amount of powers and feats. Give everyone base points and then add more points for feats, but pay for them with random roles for "anti-feats", weaknesses, whatever. So if I have the ability to shoot my bow twice in a round I also then have a 10% chance whenI meet knew people to have an uncontrollable desire to hack them with my sword (even if they are good guys). Imagine being a sword expert who gets a +6 on damage rolls but is prone to narcolepsy during battle. LOL

In other words, if you want GOD like powers at 5th level you can have them but you also have GOD like faults. There are systems that currently do this and I would love it if they did it in D&D.

I just hope they streamline combat. In my 4th edition experience, after level 10 battles could last hours and it became more a tactical miniatures game.

I look a myself thinking...There is no way in Hell I am going to buy 5th edition. And then I look at my book shelf and think. Whom am I kidding. I'm pitiful.

All Bless Gygax

The image accompanying the article did not come from the original white box edition. The graphics then were way, way uglier.

Chapel,

What edition is that tucked between 2nd and 3rd? The books that have the D&D text in red?

I got out of the D&D game during 2nd, but played a few 3rd edition games. Didn't have the books though. Doubt I'd play, but these new editions of the classic books is tempting. Too bad it's not with original covers, but this works for those that held onto 'em.

It's the AD&D 2nd edition...er 2nd edition, 2nd edition. It was a very confusing time for TSR.

That kind of thing dis-empowers the player though. It emotionally detaches them from their character and at that point it becomes tedious to play.

The key to playing the game described in the three books above is to move rules out of the way, coming up with your own idiosyncrasies and embracing them. Your character is more fun to play when he has faults, but having them pressed onto you by a random chart or even a DM is pretty much depressing. When you step away from having a God-like character as your goal and start creating well rounded characters (on your own) and playing them to all their facets the game comes completely alive.

As far as I'm concerned there should be no rules applied to character personality. That's the player's realm. AD&D 1st edition pretty much adheres to that concept.

S.

The books being rereleased are from the AD&D first edition, not the D&D first edition. The image shown is from the Players Handbook to be released on April 17th.

S.