Monday, October 8, 2012

More Reprints on the Way

Joseph Bloch and Rob Conley both alerted me to the news that, next May, Wizards of the Coast, will be doing premium reprints of the AD&D 2e Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monstrous Compendium. Even more interestingly, they're also doing hardcover compilations of the A-series and S-series modules.

I'm no fan of 2e, but, even so, this is good news. If nothing else, it suggests that the 1e reprints from this past summer (which I did buy) sold well enough for WotC to be able to justify producing even more. Indeed, as many opined, I think it quite likely that the 1e reprints were a trial balloon to determine if there was in fact a market for reprinting reprinting older D&D products. I also think it provides a little more insight into the plans of the D&D product team at WotC, namely, they really are interested in winning back the fans alienated over the past few years as a result of 4e's botched marketing. If all these reprints stay in print I'll be even more impressed.

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I have been skeptical, if not downright dismissive, of WotC's attempts to appeal to old school gamers over the last few years, thinking them little more than shallow pandering. Recently, though, the company has given me a lot of reasons to think I may have been too hasty in my judgments. This is a case where I'd be quite happy to discover that my initial opinion was ill-informed and wrongheaded.

Here's hoping ...

32 comments:

  1. I guess this is a

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  2. I just hope they continue on and reprint 3.5. Used books are going for well over original price in the gaming stores around here, WotC would be foolish not to get in on that action.

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  3. Wonderful news, let's hope hardcover reprints of classics like Gangbusters, Top Secret, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, D&D, and others are on the way.

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  4. 3.5 has already been reprinted. I bought mine two weeks ago. They're $50 a pop and there's nothing "premium" about them--they're just straight reprints with the errata incorporated.

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  5. Sounds great! I am especially interested in hard cover adventure collections. Hope this means we will be seeing the Rules Cyclopedia as well...

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  6. Also, it appears Unearthed Arcana is coming in February: http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4pr/20121008#82463

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  7. What Jason writes is correct, though the new covers are nicer.

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  8. Wow, excellent and unexpected news!

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  9. all Basic through 2E reprints are fine by me. no ill will against any of those systems. theyre all loose and abstract. the module reprints is the most exciting thing out of any of this.

    (you can still find Near Mint copies of 2E stuff at half price books. the paper quality in the reprints for 1E is a nice upgrade)

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  10. I'm sucker-enough that I'll probably buy the A-series book; I have an nostalgic fondness for it, especially A1 and 2.

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  11. I will likely pick up Unearthed Arcana and some of the other late 1E AD&D stuff where my copy is either very poorly bound and falling apart or I lack a copy. This would include Monster Manual II, Oriental Adventures, the Dungeoneer's and Wilderness Survival Guides, as well as UA.

    If they make hardcover versions of OD&D and Supplements, B/X, or the Cyclopedia / BECMI, I will flip my lid and definitely pick up all those.

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  12. I'm glad to see these too, even if I don't plan on picking them up myself. To me 2e has always kinda seemed underserved by the OSR for some reason. It's nice to see it getting some attention/promotion.


    Now if they wold only do a compilation of the D&D Gazetteers, like maybe a boxed set ideally. I'd be all over that!

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  13. Glad to hear they are going to reprint the modules as well. Smart move on Wizards part. Speaking of S3, Jeff Dee's re-created Mind Flayer scene from S3 is on Ebay right now: http://tinyurl.com/9emqm7h

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  14. Now that really puts aside my doubts about WotC. The Ghost of D&D's Past must've visited them, and it's not even christmas yet Oo

    Seeing how the new edition is supposed to be more or less compatible with all the older flavors, it might be possible that we'll see more reprints of classic adventure modules.

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  15. I love 2nd edition, but at $50 a pop those reprints are pretty darn expensive, especially when you can still pick up the originals for $10 easily.

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  16. Oh, but what they NEED to reprint is the GAZ box sets! Those things can be uber-rare nowadays, but I suppose box sets aren't as cheap to produce anymore either.

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  17. totally agree, the prices are outrageous

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  18. YES YES YES, OH GOD, YES.

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  19. Looking forward to picking up my hardcover A-series, the only classic AD&D old school modules that seem near-impossible to get off ebay at a reasonable price.

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  20. Ever hear the legend of Kharf'lwah'ya'weeshfer? Terrifying stuff... some of those Petty Gods lift more weight than you might think.


    Loved the 1E reprints, though... we all march in line to the same abyss.

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  21. More good news from WotC. Would love to see those old Gazetteers back in print.

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  22. I bought Player Handbook and DM' Guide in very good conditions a year ago and I paid 10 € (14 $). It's not expensive because I live in Spain and transport is a bit expensive sometimes.

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  23. agreed -- the 2e books seem like the least sensible rerelease candidates so far. the cyclopedia is the obvious next step, i should think, though it will raise the question of what in the world you need 5e for (if that q. isn't inescapable already).


    my new dream for 5e is: a box set with four little books: rules, dm guide (emphasis on writing and running adventures and encounters), monsters + magic(s) (really a worldbook, which is OF COURSE where magic belongs), and advanced options (including everything from the elegant 4e combat system to mass combat to gumshoe-style investigation to modern weapons to alternate magic systems).


    in other words, a cyclopedia's worth of material in digest-sized books of the 4e Essentials form (folks like them).


    then sell *alternate worldbooks* and alternate player's guides to extend, respectively, magic/materials/world stuff and character options.


    easy peasy.


    or they could just let raggi do it, i guess. daft bastard.

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  24. "To me 2e has always kinda seemed underserved by the OSR for some reason."


    presumably that's generational -- 2e was the time of cresting then declining popularity, right? and it was the first edition of d&d to arrive in a videogame-infested world.


    also, the OSR (bloggers, basically, and forum discussants) is something like...200, 300 people, right? there's only a finite amount of attention there, and the loudest guys have OD&D and B/X and 1e fetishes. thatyou could literally survey everyone of 'stature' in the OSR and just ask them why they don't talk more about 2e -- if they haven't already answered the question a million times, for lack of new games to talk about.

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  25. I think you can still get the RC for $20 usually, so it's not too bad, but definitely more rare than 2E. What really is rare and I wish I could somehow get is the GAZ box sets.

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  26. $20?


    i'll take four copies at that price. it goes for 3X that on ebay.

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  27. Dang, I musta been lucky. I know a few years ago it would pop up for $20-$30 every once in a while, you just had to wait for it.

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  28. I'd love to find a Cyclopedia for that price. I've kept watch on eBay, but bids for copies in even fair shape tend to shoot way up.

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  29. heh, i got mine for $13 at my FLGS, maybe three years ago. i waited until after i paid to mention the price discrepancy to the cashier, of course.

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  30. Nick, where do you live that you're finding the Rule Cyclopedia for $20.00? I need to pay your area a visit!

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  31. I was referring to online shopping, so we're all already there!

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