Looks awesome, but too

[Treebore]

expensive for me.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Product.aspx ... 2F45390000

[alcyone]

Don't give up hope. You might win the lottery or something by November.

Their mockup makes it appear that they are including those crazy dice that I can't read.

[tylermo]

Pretty cool, but a bit expensive for the page count. I guess reprints of early 80's basic and expert would sell for a mint? Just imagine what they'll ask for Rules Cyclopedia...more than 45 dollars??

[Hal G]

The box and the area to hold dice is nice and all but I agree price does not equal value at this point.

[tylermo]

I have a feeling that these types of items are going to be over-priced because the originals are among some of gaming's most highly-sought after holy grails. I appreciate what WOTC is doing, but I'm just not sure about the price tag on this one.

[Lord Dynel]

I'll be picking them up. I like the reprints and the idea of them. And its a viable way for Wizards to make money while transitioning editions. And, while changes to 5e are making it less and less likely I'll be on board with the new edition, WotC is producing product that I'm actually buying, over anything 4th Edition. Yeah, it's a little pricey though, but nothing I shouldn't be able to swing...if nothing else, it'll be a nice Xmas present from the missus to me.

[Breakdaddy]

Count me in for a copy!

[Omote]

I'll be picking them up. I like the reprints and the idea of them. And its a viable way for Wizards to make money while transitioning editions. And, while changes to 5e are making it less and less likely I'll be on board with the new edition, WotC is producing product that I'm actually buying, over anything 4th Edition. Yeah, it's a little pricey though, but nothing I shouldn't be able to swing...if nothing else, it'll be a nice Xmas present from the missus to me.

This.

~O

[Ancalagon]

Too rich for my blood.

[Rigon]

Yeah, I really don't have any interest in this. I have a nice little printed copy of the first three that Breakdaddy dropped into my hands at TrollCon a few years back when I played in his game. Those will do me just fine.

R-

[Desrimal]

I'm definately interested in this, but I don't wan't to spend that much money on something I only wish to own for nostalgic reasons.

[alcyone]

In an interview recently Tim Kask was talking about his hand-bound hardcover copy of D&D with the LBBs and the 4 supplements. THAT'S what I want. I have the 3 LBBs now, and sort of don't want to take them out of the box to play with them. I'd be afraid of the same thing with this new set.

I'd be making do with Delving Deeper, but don't have it yet. (grrr).

[Go0gleplex]

Since I have all the books on pdf....pass. I don't need the fancy box that badly.

[tylermo]

Pdf's of OD&D? Neato.

[DeadReborn]

I don't need the fancy box that badly.

Exactly. I'm pretty decent with my hands, I'm sure I could put together something as nice if not better. (Not bragging or anything ) Plus, I really dislike those dice; they look too "busy".

[redwullf]

Of course I'll buy this, are you kidding me?

[Hal G]

I am torn on this, on one hand I do not have all of those books, but on the other I have the original white box signed by G&A. I think I will end up passing (I say now), but November is a long ways away so who knows.

[Relaxo]

I'm definately interested in this, but I don't wan't to spend that much money on something I only wish to own for nostalgic reasons.

This

I think those busy dice are kinda cool, but if you're going old skool, they should use the old skool dice!
The fancy wood box is sweet, but when I have most of the same stuff in the form of S&W White box and the soon to arrive Delving Deeper white box... (and I don't play either, just C&C anyway) it's not a value for me.

But it is a great set! The setting books make it hard to turn down, but when this thing = almost a week a daycare... well, yes, it is easy to turn down.

[Traveller]

Since I have all the books on pdf....pass. I don't need the fancy box that badly.

I don't believe this collector reprint includes Chainmail, which it should have if only to explain the effects of haste and slow on a character. Even if it did, I wouldn't be interested as I have print versions of everything but Supplement IV and Chainmail.

[serleran]

I have no direct need for these as I have the contents (and Chainmail) in multiples, but that does not preclude me from wanting them again. Plus, I like the box. I want to put my original Arduin books in it.

[Treebore]

I have no direct need for these as I have the contents (and Chainmail) in multiples, but that does not preclude me from wanting them again. Plus, I like the box. I want to put my original Arduin books in it.

Man, if the original Arduin booklets were available as PDF's, I'd make new ones myself!

[Treebore]

Amazon got it down to $94 and change, so since its release date is supposed to be two days after my 23rd anniversary, my wife agreed to get it for me as my anniversary gift, so it is now on pre order.

[serleran]

I showed it to my wife and I think she's going to get one as an early birthday present. Gamer wives are the bestest.

[Treebore]

I showed it to my wife and I think she's going to get one as an early birthday present. Gamer wives are the bestest.

Indeed.

[SigilWraith]

Hi All,

I've got this Pre-ordered thru Amazon Prime, but having only been a D&Der since the Moldvay era, I have a question. Some of you speak of Chainmail. While I know enough about the game's history to know that this was the predecessor, what impact would a lack of owning Chainmail have upon tryin to play OD&D straight outta this box? Would I be missing something crucial which would render this box unplayable?

Thanks in advance!

[alcyone]

Some of you speak of Chainmail. While I know enough about the game's history to know that this was the predecessor, what impact would a lack of owning Chainmail have upon tryin to play OD&D straight outta this box? Would I be missing something crucial which would render this box unplayable?

I don't really recommend you try to play OD&D straight outta that box, unless you are doing some kind of alternate history experiment. It's definitely playable without Chainmail. I would recommend looking on the internet for the missing bits of lore that tie things together.

Look at conversations at http://odd74.proboards.com for example, and read http://www.grey-elf.com/philotomy.pdf for some insights by Jason "Philotomy Jurament" Cone that many find enlightening.

If you want to do 1:20 combat without Chainmail, look at Delta's Book of War or maybe even adapt Fields of Battle.

By the way, for the most part, Holmes Basic is sort of a restatement of OD&D in terms of the Alternate Combat System. I'd personally find that more useful in an out of the box game than Chainmail, for all it gives you. If you still have trouble with it, look at Delving Deeper for another, free interpretation (http://www.immersiveink.com), Delving Deeper PDF Bundle from RPGNow.

Greater players than I claim to have gotten started with nothing but a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper and the little brown books, but even as an experienced player I found them befuddling. Chainmail didn't help as much as looking at later material.

[mgtremaine]

The secret with the 3LBB is to realize there is no spoon.

-Mike

[Traveller]

OD&D can be played without using Chainmail, especially if Supplement I: Greyhawk is in play. There may be some odd bits in the rules that will still be covered by Chainmail, e.g. effects of haste and slow on characters, but those things can be determined by referee fiat.

The bigger issue is simply the fact the rules are not well organized. We're talking the beginning of the hobby here, and I presume it was far less expensive at the time to print one book that detailed the rule changes (Supplement I: Greyhawk) than to typeset all new books. It wasn't until Holmes that there was sufficient money to allow for such a rewrite. TSR pared the rewrite down to 48 pages though and marketed it as an introductory product. The full results of the rewrite would not appear until AD&D, a couple of years later.

If you're looking for a copy of OD&D to play? As long as you understand that there is going to be a lot of fishing about in various books for rules then more power to you. I have OD&D plus (most) Supplements and the fishing about in various books thing annoyed me almost as much as Greg Bell's artwork. That and the fact that I would have loved to see the full Holmes D&D document led me to create the ruleset in my signature.

[SigilWraith]

Thanks for the replies. I Pre ordered this product mainly because it looks so very, very purdy, and because I've been interested in the roots and history of the hobby of late. C&C is the game I prefer... actually it's the game I always wished D&D was, back in my early playing days when I followed RAW like a good little chap due to not really knowing any better (hey, I was 10 when I first ventured into AD&D and 8 when I discovered that basic set my mom had bought from a toy store because she likes controversial things....incidentally she also bought the Rushdie book, Satanic Verses). Anyways, if I was to actually play from this box, it would be more out of a curiosity for what the original game was like back in the olden times, moreso than any interest in a long-lived campaign. I occasionally dust off the ol' Atari 2600 for similar reasons...just to see what it was all about. If the playing experience isn't strikingly incredible, that's not only to be expected, but enjoyed for what it is...a fulfilling of curiosity.

[Treebore]

The very splotchy organization is precisely why I like the Swords and Wizardry clone. It is a very nicely cleaned up and well organized and close reinterpretation of these rules. With some pretty minor tweaks, etc...

So I actually enjoy running games using S&W. Plus the support is very good, and also very easy to use in my C&C games if I decide to do so.