Alzrius
The EN World kitten
Wizards of the Coast has just released the Dungeons & Dragons Three Volume Boxed Set over on DriveThruRPG for $9.99.
Compiled as a single PDF and marked "TSR2002," this is different from the OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (0e), which is a scan of the premium reprint from 2013. This new release, by contrast, appears to be one of the original version of the game as it was in 1974. I've already downloaded my copy, and I can confirm that it refers to hobbits, ents, and balrogs, among other Tolkienisms. According to The Acaeum, those were removed as of the sixth printing of Original D&D in 1977, so this definitely predates that. (EDIT: Looking at the cover art of the "Men & Magic" book, this appears to be a scan of either the third or fourth printing, from 1975)
Given that Wizards of the Coast has previously removed titles that they've uploaded (specifically Palace of the Vampire Queen), I'd recommend grabbing this now before they get another cease and desist letter telling them to remove the Tolkien references!
This is the latest PDF release from WotC, following the Shattered Keeps map pack, the Worlds of Adventure fast-play game for AD&D 2E, the Hexagonal Mapping Booklet, and Quadrille Graph Paper. Other PDF releases have included Outdoor Geomorphs Set 1 - Walled City, Player's Secrets of Muden (for Birthright), The Planescape Conspectus, Midnight on Dagger Alley (AD&D 1E), the AD&D 2E starter set Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game, and the 3.5 Deluxe Character Sheets. Free releases have included Wrath of the Immortals (BECMI), The Book of Regency (Birthright), Three Dragon Ante, Rob Kuntz's To the City of Brass, and the World of Krynn Trail Map and The Eastern Countries Trail Map (Mystara).
EDIT: The product has been removed from sale.
Please note my use of affiliate links in this post.
Compiled as a single PDF and marked "TSR2002," this is different from the OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (0e), which is a scan of the premium reprint from 2013. This new release, by contrast, appears to be one of the original version of the game as it was in 1974. I've already downloaded my copy, and I can confirm that it refers to hobbits, ents, and balrogs, among other Tolkienisms. According to The Acaeum, those were removed as of the sixth printing of Original D&D in 1977, so this definitely predates that. (EDIT: Looking at the cover art of the "Men & Magic" book, this appears to be a scan of either the third or fourth printing, from 1975)
Given that Wizards of the Coast has previously removed titles that they've uploaded (specifically Palace of the Vampire Queen), I'd recommend grabbing this now before they get another cease and desist letter telling them to remove the Tolkien references!
This is the latest PDF release from WotC, following the Shattered Keeps map pack, the Worlds of Adventure fast-play game for AD&D 2E, the Hexagonal Mapping Booklet, and Quadrille Graph Paper. Other PDF releases have included Outdoor Geomorphs Set 1 - Walled City, Player's Secrets of Muden (for Birthright), The Planescape Conspectus, Midnight on Dagger Alley (AD&D 1E), the AD&D 2E starter set Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game, and the 3.5 Deluxe Character Sheets. Free releases have included Wrath of the Immortals (BECMI), The Book of Regency (Birthright), Three Dragon Ante, Rob Kuntz's To the City of Brass, and the World of Krynn Trail Map and The Eastern Countries Trail Map (Mystara).
EDIT: The product has been removed from sale.
Please note my use of affiliate links in this post.
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