OSR Christmas - Day Eight - OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (White Box) - PDF Only

Its Day Eight of OSR Christmas. Before we get to today's festivities, let's find out who is the recipient of yesterday's awesome gift who ARE the recipients of yesterday's recent GIFTS, as +Jason Paul McCartan offered to make one gift into three!

I would do a drum roll but that doesn't work so well on a blog post. Oh well.
Bob Brinkman, dogrodeo and Dave Bendit - congrats. Email me at tenkarsDOTtavern and we'll get you hooked up.

Now for today's gift. We are giving away the OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (White Box) in PDF only. The granddaddy that started it all. Sure, the reprint covers look like shit (IMHO) but the rules are what they are and that makes this nearly priceless, especially for those that don't have this in print (and who wants to spend over $22k for a wood grained box anyway?)

First published in January 1974, the original edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons would go on to see six different printings. This edition is for the Original Collector's Edition released By Wizards of the Coast in 2013, which was itself a revision of the 6th and final printing, the "Original Collector’s Edition" or white box edition.  

You get all three books contained in the original boxed set: Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and Underworld & Wilderness Adventures plus the Reference Sheets booklet. 

Great to read and still great to play, the original edition shows you where the roleplaying hobby began and the original version of the game that spawned a hobby and so much more.

Comment on this post before 8 AM Eastern Time, December 21st, 2016 to be in the running for $9.99 in an RPGNow Gift Card. OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition in Print + PDF is exactly $9.99 or use it for other purchases at RPGNow. The choice will be yours - if Santa picks you :)

This prize is available because of readers like you. Your use of The Tavern's affiliate links allows for giveaways like this.


More OSR Christmas

+James Spahn is giving away 12 prizes over 12 days and all you need to do is comment on one blog post. You will need to follow the instructions carefully if you want a chance to be gifted.

Note: You MUST comment on the Halfling's Luck blog. This post it just to let you know where to go.

There's a 1st Print - Woodgrain - Original Dungeons & Dragons Boxed Set for Sale on Ebay - Brother, Can I Have $5k?

Woodgrain Dungeons & Dragons boxed sets don't pop up for sale to often. Sadly, I don't usually pay much attention, as the prices are quickly out of my range. This is by far out of my price range but the story behind this box is a good one:

Statement from the owner: 

This set is in Very Fine condition with one small stain on the front label and very minor scuffing on the corners of the box. Note that the Reference Sheets are not stapled, but loose sheets folded together. This was the original condition. 

It was acquired by the present owner in an interesting way. 

In 1974 I worked in a project offering supplemental educational materials to four school districts in Northwestern Wisconsin. I met Bill, an elementary school librarian, who was very excited about working with his students using role playing games. He had a friend in Minneapolis whom he had met through their shared interest in war gaming. This friend, “Lance,” was involved with creating a new project, a fantasy-style wargame in a box that could be played by anyone. 

My librarian friend was working with a sixth-grade class to create a book based on playing the game. Included in this set is a copy of the booklet that his students created using the game.  

Bill also used a 20-sided die that he had hand-colored to differentiate scoring. Adding to the charm of this set, the die is included, as is a hand-written note from Bill, the librarian, explaining the use of the die. He added that there was currently a shortage of these dice, but they were available in England. He was going to England for a vacation, and would be bringing some back with him.

As I type this it is currently sitting at a bid of $5,600 on eBay.

Probably not a bad price, all things considered, but I'll have to be satisfied with my 2 OCE White Boxes ;)

Look What Was Waiting for me Tonight When I Got Home

Every once in a blue moon I check Ebay for some of the older TSR era releases. Occasionally I bid on something. Earlier this week I spotted an OCE White Box Dungeons & Dragons set - minimum bid $75.

This was the description:

Box shows some wear.  All books and reference sheets show some staining on the outside. Monsters and Treasure book has some staining inside as well.  See pics.  Names are written on the inside cover of each book. Rest of the interiors are in good shape.

I figured $75 for an OCE in okay condition? I'll bid on that. Well, no one else did. It's in better condition than the description would leave one to believe. Hell, the box itself is in better condition than the OCE I bought on Noble Knight for $175 five years ago.

A very decent Christmas Gift for myself ;)

Picking Thru the OCE (D&D 6th Printing) Box

I have been trying to pick a copy of the OCE (Original Collector's Edition) of Dungeons & Dragons for a while, but the prices were out of whack compared to what I could pay at Troll & Toad (or is it Toad & Troll).  In any case, I got my copy today, and I'm very happy with it.  The box is VG/FN but the books are all VF to NM.  What better way to end a month then by starting to read thru the original D&D rules.

I can already see that I'm glad I have a copy of Chainmail on the way, as there are many references to the rules that started it all.  Maybe Chainmail has a reference to the size die one rolls to determine HP.  From the example shown, the range rolled falls from 1 to 6, so a safe assumption could be made that 6 sided dice are rolled, but I have yet to see it spelled out.

Advancing beyond name level is explained, with the painful exception of experience points required beyond name level. 

The AC charts cover from 2 (plate and shield) thru 9 (no armor).  If magic brings the AC below 2 one can extrapolate easy enough, but it is a bit of an omission (at least in retrospect).  Hmm, or magic doesn't change the AC, just the base scores to hit, but that's the same thing but more complicated.

Saving Throws:  Everyone advancedon the same table, just at different rates.  Just like the Combat Charts.  But then shouldn't the charts have been set up in the same fashion?  Levels from top to bottom and save type from left to right would have worked just as well for the Combat Charts as they did for Saving Throws.  I know, Monday Morning Quarterbacking and all that jazz ;)

More reading ahead for me.  Later

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