1E Unearthed Arcana Reprint?

[delericho]

Given that the reprints will likely run you over $40, though, buying a used (yet in "new" condition) is still cheaper, though. And likely to be cheaper still when the reprints are actually out.

Yeah, I noticed that the SC reprint has an RRP of $60, which is pretty crazy. But I'm reasonably sure the reprints will cause the price of second hand copies to drop, so I may well get one of those. (Or, better still, get my players to buy their own copies!)

 

[Treebore]

Definitely buying a UA. It will be nice to have one that isn't falling apart.

 

[Zelligars Apprentice]

What I'd REALLY like to see a reprint of (other than the "little brown books" and supplements thereof) is Deities and Demigods. Either with or without the Lovecraftian mythos in it.

That, and the World of Greyhawk boxed set. I know it's crazy expensive to produce boxed sets nowadays (and reprinting a boxed set in just a single book is...problematic), but since we are already making wish lists...

 

[IronWolf]

Yeah, I'd kill for a Rules Cyclopedia reprint.

Yep - I would buy this reprint. I will likely pass on the 3.x reprints. I just don't see myself going back to 3.x when I have Pathfinder. I did get the 1e reprints though.

 

[prosfilaes]

Yes, surely the RC is going to be reprinted. After all, it seems to attract near-universal praise.

Dr. Kromm of Steve Jackson Games has said that they're not looking at prices on Ebay or Amazon any more after they've got burned a couple times. It just didn't prove to be a reliable indicator of what will sell for them.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Doubt I'll particularly need or want a UA, but put me down for a Greyhawk box! I've only once had access to one in over 30 years and would love to be able to read it and take a stab at running it.

 

[Stormonu]

Doubt I'll particularly need or want a UA, but put me down for a Greyhawk box! I've only once had access to one in over 30 years and would love to be able to read it and take a stab at running it.

I'd love to see them reprint the entire line of settings. Boxed set would be best, slipcase would be nice, hardcover would be fine (hey, it was done with Council of Wyrms, FR and Dark Sun).

Actually, thinking about it, two slipcase "Worlds of D&D" would be cool with 1) Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Birthright, Dragonlance (and Nentir Vale) campaign hardbacks and 2) Al-Qadim, Karu Tur, Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft (and maybe Maztica) Campaign hardbacks. Maybe even 3) Council of Wyms, Jakandor, Spelljammer, Tale of the Comet, Lankhmar as a 3rd set.

Make them edition-agnostic, and I'd think they would sell fairly well.

 

[rogueattorney]

I'm going to suspend my belief until I see something directly from WotC on this.

However, if this is true, I find it quite encouraging, even if Unearthed Arcana probably isn't in the top 10 1e products I'd love to see reprinted, this and the 3.5e reprints show that this isn't a one-time thing.

I've long thought that WotC's (and TSR's before them) notion of competing with itself via old editions was something of a self-fulfilling prophesy, and that through smarter marketing they could have done a much better job serving a broader spectrum of the greater D&D fan base by synergizing older products with newer releases. Like a $5 .pdf of the original Fiend Folio released a couple months before the new "Fiend Folio" comes out, or a free conversion guide to edition x downloadable with code typed in from back of new product. That type of thing.

Computer game companies do this type of thing all the time. Nintendo, for example has a rewards program where, when you buy a new product, you get "coins" you can use to download their old classic Mario and Zelda games. Seems like WotC could do a similar thing, and there's no reason why it couldn't work the other way... Buy $x worth of old .pdf's, get a redeemable credit for new version game. Get the fans of old editions who have shown a proven willingness to give you their money to try your game at a reduced price.

It's all about getting the committed gamer to come through your front door. After that, if you have a good product, it will sell.

I also think WotC's marketing should be selling their new edition buy saying, "This new product will help make your D&D game better," rather than saying, "This new version of D&D is better than your old D&D game." And then focus on making products that as many D&D gamers will find useful to their existing games as possible. Maybe that's a subtle difference, but I think it's a vital one that has caused a lot of hurt feelings over the decades.

I guess to swing this back to the original topic, I think it'd be a good idea for WotC to look at products to re-print that would be useful for all D&D players regardless of edition. I think the 1e DMG certainly filled the criterion. The 1980 World of Greyhawk folio would probably be next at the top of the list.