History question: first appearance of 'Well of Many Worlds' ?

[Shemeska]

I figure someone here would know the answer here, but I'm trying to find the first published appearance of the magic item known as the Well of Many Worlds. I know it existed back in 2e, but I don't know if it originated in that edition or earlier, and in what source / by what author.

My pre-3e-fu is weak on this one, and I don't have any actual 1e books except for a MMII and MotP, so doesn't help me out much there.

 

[Templeton580]

*

 

[Mouseferatu]

Doing a quick scan of my Dragon archive, I'm finding a few mentions in early issues, but only in passing. So if there is an earlier appearance in AD&D than the 1E DMG, I can't find it or guess where it might be.

Similarly, a quick scan doesn't turn it up in any of the "pre-Advanced" versions of the game, though my resources aren't 100% complete. So it's possible I missed something, but as best I can tell, the 1E DMG is indeed the first appearance.

 

[grodog]

Based on my quick run-through of Monsters & Treasure, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Eldritch Wizardry, I think the Well of Many Worlds first appeared in the DMG. It's not mentioned in the OD&D books, nor is it described as a new magic item in SR, TD, or Dragon.

 

[avin]

What's this? A normal "item" or a true "well"? I'm already imagining an old well. You can't see the bottom. Using a rope and climbing down you start to finding holes on the well's wall. A person could enter on it... but where it leads?

 

[Shemeska]

Based on my quick run-through of Monsters & Treasure, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Eldritch Wizardry, I think the Well of Many Worlds first appeared in the DMG. It's not mentioned in the OD&D books, nor is it described as a new magic item in SR, TD, or Dragon.

Thank you (and likewise thank you too Ari and Cutter). This was what I'd assumed, and it was also what I'd sadly worried about, because it means it's rather too late to probe Gary about how he went about creating that particular item.

 

[AllisterH]

Thank you (and likewise thank you too Ari and Cutter). This was what I'd assumed, and it was also what I'd sadly worried about, because it means it's rather too late to probe Gary about how he went about creating that particular item.

You might try "OLD GEEZER" on rpg.net as he is someone that actually gamed with gary et al and was actually responsible for some of the stuff that made its way into the game.

 

[grodog]

In addition to Mike "Old Geezer" Mornard, you could ask Rob Kuntz on his boards @ Otto's Observatory - Greyhawk - Pied Piper Publishing - Message Board - Yuku

I had always assumed that the Well of Many Worlds was inspired by Jack Chalker's Midnight at the Well of Souls, although I don't have any reason to really make that connection (other than that the word "well" appears in both, and Gary was a Chalker fan).

 

[Holy Bovine]

Funny this should come up as I was just reading my 1E DMG the other day specifically the artifacts & unusual magic items. So many good stories behind these items.

 

[grodog]

I got an email from Rob, and he doesn't have any details about the origin of that magic item.