Would you like to see commemorative editions of the core rules of all older editions?

[Mighty Halfling]

I'm sure WotC would happily license out the reprint rights to do such a project. Anyone got a few grand for me to make an offer, then another grand to collect the errata (in a companion book), and then a whole lot more to print and market it?

 

[Jack99]

If they license it out, I am fine with it, but I rather not have WotC spend time and money on old editions.

 

[Whisper72]

Well, not simple reprints, but rather like the Rules Cyclopedia was in essence a reprint of the whole BECMI series, I would be interested in single book 'super' editions of OD&D, a new printing of the RC and similar treatment of the 'core' ADnD 1E and 2E books as a single 1E tome and a single 2E tome.

 

[GQuail]

I voted "Yes", although as others say this is more a hope than a business plan. I own pretty much all the 1E hardcovers I want via eBay, I similarly got the blue book, BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia from online sellers and my FLGS's second hand bin. What else can they sell people who would be interested in it, since they'll probably already own them as well?....

....but OD&D in hard copy is a LOT more awkward to get a hold of in hard copy, which is why I had to buy and print PDFs. A special reprint of that old box, or combination of the old stuff into a single book (perhaps including the supplements if you're doing it that way) would be pretty cool, especially as some sort of D&D anniversary gift.

You could even chuck in some more modern stuff, like a poster showing all the covers to D&D editions, a booklet on D&D's changes as a game or a dungeon statted in both OD&D and 4th Ed.

 

[darjr]

I wonder if Gygax Games would want to do this, wonder if they could? Work up a compendium of OD&D with an addendum of Gary Gygax's home rules for it. Mongoose would probably print it then.

 

[Darkwolf71]

I wonder if Gygax Games would want to do this, wonder if they could? Work up a compendium of OD&D with an addendum of Gary Gygax's home rules for it. Mongoose would probably print it then.

Now, that is something I would be willing to drop some coin on.

 

[Nikosandros]

I'm sure WotC would happily license out the reprint rights to do such a project. Anyone got a few grand for me to make an offer, then another grand to collect the errata (in a companion book), and then a whole lot more to print and market it?

I'm not so sure that WotC would be keen on licensing this reprinting rights. Probably they don't want any material with the D&D name on the market except for the current edition, in order to avoid brand dilution and potentially confusing customers.

 

[jdrakeh]

Are the scans good?

It's kind of a crap shoot.

All of the OD&D/BD&DI/BECMI stuff that I've downloaded has been fine (i.e., print-worthy). Having said that, the AD&D core rule book scans seem to be bad, as do several of the early setting supplements (oddly, all of the AD&D adventure module scans seem to be great).

Still, it's better than no support at all for old products, which was pretty much how TSR played it for years — and fans seemed to be happy with that. I think that this new-fangled Internet has spoiled fans for old editions

 

[Korgoth]

Only if revised (like 3.0 to 3.5) and using a deluxe layoutl.

Deluxe layout!? For an Old School product? That's like serving a bacon double cheeseburger on a weird art nouveau plate with sides of capers and parfait de foie gras.

I don't want my Old School goodness printed on some effete, fussy full color glossy thingamajig. It should be on plain, manly, working class paper with evocative black and white art.

 

[Mallus]

I --well, my wife and I-- collect cheap art by local artists, I --just me this time-- don't collect rule books. I use rule books, smear their pages with saag paneer and pizza sauce, inadvertently dog-ear their pages...

... so a commemorative edition of a rule book that I either 1) own or 2) could buy really cheaply online wouldn't interest me in the slightest.