D&D 4E Printings of 4E books.

[ggroy]

With all this talk of WotC not doing any printings for the 4e core books in various threads, let's look at what the actual printings the 4E D&D books are.

Here's a guide to determine what printing a particular book came from.

Editions and Printings, How to Tell the Difference: a guide for book collectors

One should see a sequence of numbers on the page with the copyright information.

In the case of WotC 4E D&D books, this information will be on the second pages of most 4E books, at the bottom left hand corner. (Page one is usually the title page, while page three is the table of contents).


For a first printing, one should see the sequence of numbers

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For a second printing, one should see the sequence of numbers

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

For a third printing, one should see the sequence of numbers

9 8 7 6 5 4 3

For a fourth printing, one should see the sequence of numbers

9 8 7 6 5 4


etc ...


Looking through all my 4E books, they all have the sequence of numbers "9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" which means they are all first printings.

So far over the last year or so of looking through big box bookstores and gaming stores, the only second printings of 4E books I've seen so far have been for the 4E Player's Handbook 2. (These printings have the sequence of numbers "9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2").

The misleading part about many 4E books, is that it will also include a string "First Printing: **Date**" also right below (or above) the sequence of numbers "9 8 7 6 ...". For example, the 4E core books PHB1/DMG1/MM1 will have a string "First Printing: June 2008", regardless of the printing. This string does NOT tell you what the actual printing is.


Using this convention of a sequence of numbers to determine the printings of the 4E books, which printings of 4E books do other people have?

 

[jasonbostwick]

Can't really contribute any data to this - all my books are first printings, as I picked most of them up on release day. I've never scanned store shelves or anything.

I would imagine that very, very few books beyond the Core Three ever received a reprint. I remember that it was publicized that the PHB2 sold out and required a reprint - maybe we would have heard if any other books had?

 

[ggroy]

Some replies already (somewhere else), have mentioned that the 4E PHB2 has had a third printing with the sequence of numbers "9 8 7 6 5 4 3".

 

[Mistwell]

Is the implication that ICV2 is wrong?

 

[Thanlis]

Alternative three: WotC doesn't update the copyright page reliably. This has the pleasing characteristic of not requiring us to assume that a representative of a publicly traded company was lying to ICV2. On the other hand, it would mean that someone at WotC is fairly sloppy about publishing details.

 

[ggroy]

Dropped by a big box bookstore and a gaming store which I haven't been to in over six months. (A few hours ago).

I saw these printings:

- third printing of MM1
- second printing of MM2
- third printing of PHB2

The other 4E books at these two places were largely first printings.

 

[Jack99]

Only 1st prints here as well, since I buy everything when it is released. However, if you want to go digging, there is an Ampersand article that mentions 4e PHB going into 3rd or 4th printing.

 

[ggroy]

I was in another part of town today, and decided to check out two big box bookstores and a comic book shop which stocked 4E books. (I haven't been to these places in over a year).

The printings of 4E books I came across were:

- second printing of 4E Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
- second printing of 4E PHB1
- second printing of 4E DMG1
- third printing of 4E MM1
- fourth printing of 4E PHB2

(The other 4E books in stock were all first printings).

At one big box bookstore, I sat down and took a closer look at the subsequent printings of PHB1, DMG1, and MM1. It appears there were not many errata (if any) corrections incorporated into these subsequent printings. For example:

- The second printing of PHB1 still had the old stealth rules as the first printing of PHB1.
- The second printing of DMG1 still had the old skill challenges as the first printing of the DMG1.
- The third printing of MM1 still uses the old hit points formula for solo monsters above level 11. (ie. The level 33 Orcus has 1525 HP in the first, second, and third printings of the 4E MM1. With the corrected hit points formula for solo monsters in the 4E DMG2, a level 33 Orcus should have 1220 HP).

 

[Thanlis]

Thanks for being persistent about looking into this.

 

[ggroy]

On another board, someone mentioned having a copy of the 4E module "Keep on the Shadowfell" which was a second printing.

Initially it didn't cross my mind to check the printings of the WotC 4E modules I have.


So I went through my modules, and noticed my copy of "Thunderspire Labyrinth" is indeed a second printing. (I purchased it back in mid-2009).

All the other WotC 4E modules I have are first printings.