Tell me about these older edition D&D products [list updated: Nov 20/10]

[Knightfall]

First of all, let me back up everything that's been said about Edmonton. Several of the best places for gamers to shop that I know of (for gaming stuff, used books in general and some other things of related interest) are located within a couple blocks of each other around Whyte Avenue along with some decent used record shopping and lots of other cool stuff.

Whyte Avenue is a pretty amazing street. A lot of Edmontonians take it for granted and don't treat it with the respect it deserves. It's also a great festival area... The Fringe, out annual Blues festival, and Street Performers' Festival.)

However, I love it because of the book stores, gaming stores, and music stores. WARP 1 recently moved, so it's not part of the core area anymore but it's still close (9917 - 82 Avenue). Now, there is a comic store where WARP 1 used to be called Happy Harbor Comics.

HHC has gaming books too and the prices are usually better than WARP 1. The store doesn't have as much of a selection, however, but you can order in books if you want. The guy who runs HHC is a fairly decent fellow.

I've bought a couple of True20 books there.

Now, comments on a few nearly random things on your list, with mild spoilers.

D1-2
Reasonably good dungeon crawling. Each has a couple of preliminary encounters leading up to a huge underground complex of some sort to explore, occasionally interact with the local politics of, but mainly kill things and take their stuff. There aren't that many Drow in it, though the very first encounter consists of being mobbed by them; those guys take center stage in D3 much more than in 1 and (especially) 2.

Okay, so the drow in the module aren't the focus... the kuo-toa are. Good to know. If I get it, I should be able to replace the drow with morlocks.

Any Gazetteer, and most BD&D Mystara stuff in general, is well worth it. However, there is a special place in Hell reserved just for whomever wrote Journey to the Rock, a linear runaround whose name is by no means its lamest feature. I rather like the Atruaghin one. Minrothad does indeed seem to be one of the rarer ones.

I like the idea of the gazetteers but the few that Whyte Knight has are fairly expensive. The Glantri gazetteer is CAN $30! (WK also has Ierendi, Karameikos, and the Atruaghin Clans.) Still, if I can't find a copy of the Glantri boxed set for 2e then I'll likely buy (or trade for) the Glantri gazetteer.

FYI... Journey to The Rock was written by Michael Malone.

I remember Five Shall Be One as a pretty fun crawl, but one that asks the GM to run not one but two fairly high-level wizards as DMPCs; find a way to avoid that.

I've avoided Five Shall Be One and Howl From the North because I've heard mixed opinions on the Greyhawk modules from the early 90s, especially the "Falcon" modules. What's your opinion on those (assuming you've used them)?

Note that I'm mainly interested in Border Watch from that time period.

Rod of Seven Parts is a mixed bag, a good variety of mini-adventures loosely linked by a common plot.

WK has Rod of the Seven Parts but the price the owner is asking for it is way beyond my price range. I'm not sure it's worth my time.

 

[Knightfall]

Today's update...
I received an early birthday present from my dad today. He gave me money to buy some new pants and some books. Here's what I bought at Whyte Knight and Wizard's...

• DARK SUN: Slave Tribes [DSR1] (CAN $12)
• DRAGONSTAR: Smuggler's Run (CAN $9.95)
• Dying Earth Roleplaying Game, The (CAN $15)

WK had some new (used) AD&D gamebooks and boxed sets on the shelves that weren't there before. ( I'm pretty sure. ) Many of these are on my "to get" list(s).

• A1-4 Scourge of Slave Lords (CAN $65) Yikes!!!
• Astromundi Cluster, The [boxed set] (CAN $30)
• Black Spine [boxed adventure] ("got it")
• Dragon's Crown [DSE1] [boxed adventure] (CAN $30)
• Freedom [DS1] [boxed adventure]
• Legend of Spelljammer, The [boxed set] (CAN $30)
• PLANESCAPE Campaign Setting [boxed set] (CAN $75) (*)
• Pirates of the Fallen Stars [FOR3]
• Spellbound [boxed set] (CAN $40; I think)
• Thri-Kreen of Athas (*)
• World of Greyhawk [boxed set] (CAN $45) (**)

*I have these already but I figured I'd mention them here, regardless.
**Note to Self: Hmm... getting rid of my incomplete set (no box) was good timing, I guess. Now, do I get this one or hold out for the folio.

 

[Knightfall]

Picture time...

 

[Knightfall]

Changes I've made to the list on the OP!

Added to "The Query List"

DIABLO

• Diablo II: The Awakening

DRAGONLANCE

• Knight's Sword [DLQ1]
• Flint's Axe [DLQ2]
• Tree Lords [DLS2]
• Oak Lords [DLS3]
• Wild Elves [DLS4]
• New Tales: The Land Reborn [DLT1]

FORGOTTEN REALMS

• Ruins of Adventure [FRC1]
• Curse of the Azure Bonds [FRC2]
• Hordes of Dragonspear [FRQ2]
• Doom of Daggerdale [FRQ3]

LANKHMAR

• Swords of the Undercity [CA1]
• Swords of Deceit [CA2]

SPELLJAMMER

• Under The Dark Fist [SJA4] ("must have")
• Goblins' Return [SJS1]
• Heart of the Enemy [SJQ1]

Deleted from "The Query List"

• Atruaghin Clans, The [GAZ14]
• A Paladin in Hell
• Empires of the Sands [FR3]
• Midnight on Dagger Alley [MV1]
• Minrothad Guilds, The [GAZ9]
• Murky Deep, The [GA1]
• Nightwatch: In the Living City [LC3]
• ODYSSEY Tale of the Comet
• Reunion
• Road to Urik [DSQ1]
• Tales of Enchantment [GA3]

Added to my "To Get" List(s)

• Bastion of Faith ("got it")
• Border Watch [WGM1]
• City of Skulls, The [WGR6]
• Country Sites
• Haunted Halls of Eveningstar [FRQ1]
• Lost Island of Castanamir, The [C3]
• Merchant Houses of Amketch [DSM2]
• Nightmare Keep [FA2]
• Night of the Vampire [boxed CD adventure]
• To Find a King [C4] ("got it")
• Web of Illusion [RM2]

 

[amethal]

I got two more books at Wizard's today...

• Dragon Lords of Melniboné [d20] (CAN $7.50)
• Vecna Reborn (CAN $9.50)

I got another as well, but it's for someone else. Thus, I'm not going to mention it unless he wants to chime in about it.

Now, excuse me while I leave myself a note...

Note To Self: Wizard's also has the Monstrous Arcana books: "I, Tyrant" and "The Sea Devils." There was also a copy of "Demihumans of the Realms" and "Wyrmskull Throne" and multiple copies of "Cloak & Dagger" and "Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark." They don't have "Dungeon Crawl: The Dungeon of Death" or "The Accursed Tower," however.

There was also these Dragonlance Fifth Age adventures: "Chaos Spawn" and "Rise of the Titans."

I was very impressed with The Sea Devils. Nice to see sahuagin get the attention they deserve, and in full colour to boot. (The three adventures are interesting as well, but very much second edition products; my D&D 3.5 group would organise a DM lynching if I ran them as written - very much "the next day you wake up in captivity without any of your equipment" territory.)

It also has the advantage, if you think that way, that there hasn't been a later edition equivalent. I Tyrant is fine, for example, but I also have Lords of Madness and think LoM is better.

 

[Knightfall]

I noticed that I had still had some money of my own in my bank account, so I decided to return to WK and buy a few more items I wanted yesterday but didn't think I had the money for.

Here's today's list...

• DARK SUN: Black Spine (CAN $20)
• HOLLOW WORLD: Milenian Empire, The [HWR3] (CAN $10)
• LANKHMAR: Nehwon [LNA2] (CAN $15) (in original shrinkwrap)

I paid a little more than I wanted for these; however, they were some of the references I've wanted for some time but put off buying because I was hoping to find them cheaper elsewhere.

I also went to WK to confirm the prices of some of the other books/sets noted in my previous post.

EDIT: I'm now official out of "game book buying" money until the end of the month. The rest has to go towards food.

Of course, that could change if anyone in my family gives me more books, LPs, or VHS tapes to trade away. Heh.

 

[Knightfall]

I was very impressed with The Sea Devils. Nice to see sahuagin get the attention they deserve, and in full colour to boot. (The three adventures are interesting as well, but very much second edition products; my D&D 3.5 group would organise a DM lynching if I ran them as written - very much "the next day you wake up in captivity without any of your equipment" territory.)

I had both "The Sea Devils" and "I, Tyrant" along with "The Illithiad" (which I now have again) back in the day. It was tough giving them up, but I didn't have a choice at the time.

I never had any of the Monstrous Arcana adventures, however. I never really warmed up to them. I know Wizard's has some of those adventures but I'm unlikely to purchase them since there are so many other books I want first that Wizard's has on the shelves.

The Ravenloft Van Ritchen monster hunter compliations, for example. The next time I can afford it, I'm getting all three of those.

It also has the advantage, if you think that way, that there hasn't been a later edition equivalent. I Tyrant is fine, for example, but I also have Lords of Madness and think LoM is better.

That's why I'm thinking that "The Sea Devils" is on my "to get" list. There isn't a 3e version, so I want that one again. I'm not sure about "I,Tyrant" since I have Lords of Madness. It is definitely the better book. I simply might get it to complete the trio.

 

[Knightfall]

Picture time, once again...

 

[Knightfall]

Inside the Black Spine...

 

[Knightfall]

Added "Hellbound: The Blood War" to my "to get" list for Planescape.