Greetings again on a cool Autumn day...the kind that was perfect for D&D back in the early '80s! The smell of cut grass mingled with burning leaves...brings back vivid memories of riding my bike to a friend's house for weekend D&D sessions!
Well...those friends gave up RPG's long ago. One, in particular, gave me a great gift when he did...3 of his AD&D books! Hell of a gift...I've held on to them for 30+ years...check 'em out!
He took care of his books...you can see the wear on them...they were well used "back in the day"! The "Deities & Demigods" is still in fine shape. Which version I hear you ask? Bet you already know...
Yessir! This is the early 1980 edition with the Cthulhu & Melnibone mythos! Yeah...damn fine gift!
Easy to see that he didn't read the description of Elric before he colored the pic! Kinda robust looking for an albino! I'm impressed to this day with hsi coloring ability at that young age!
I even recognize some of the beings he let me color!
And then the "Fiend Folio"
Now this one is kinda embarrassing...it's not my friend's! I had borrowed his books to use at a convention...it wasn't until months later that I discovered that someone had mistakenly (I hope) walked off with the wrong copy! This book is in very fine/Mint condition!And this copy doesn't have many colored pages...and its in colored pencil to boot!
These were all colored by yours truly at a later date...ee
I do particularly like the Skeleton Warrior & Mountain Giant!
And lastly, and quite incidentally, my least favorite of the three...The Monster Manual II
I know...that's borderline heresy! I think it's just the fact that I didn't care for the art in the book like I did in the original Monster Manual. No Dave Trampier always really bothered me...he was the best of the early D&D artist...and his absence here hurt the product...in my humble opinion. This is the most weathered of the 3 books...it did get a LOT of use!
3 great books...all vintage! I still half expect my friend to ask for them back one day! And I'd return them if he did!
For an added bonus...here's a closer look at the maps in the back ground. I created them with Wonderdraft for a campaign I'm working on.
I just took my flash drive to Office Max and had them copied onto 11X17 card stock!
...hope you've enjoyed looking at these great old books! They bring back great memories for me...and AD&D is the high water mark for me as far as D&D!
'till next time...EXCELSIOR!
Just a quick entry...I bought 2 reprints of Classic TSR modules from DrivethruRPG.
"U3The Final Enemy" & "The Temple of Elemental Evil".
I've never owned either of these 2...never adventured in them. Thought I'd add them to my collection. Always very happy with the quality of the product from DTRPG.
But....wait for it
Included, for no extra charge (not even mentioned), is the 5e adventure module "The Lost Laboratory of Kwalish"!
Now...I know some who would have returned this immediately...angered that they did get exactly what they ordered. I, on the other hand, look at it as a bonus! Maybe a "one of a kind" purchase. Maybe the 5e adventure was added as a mistake?
Either way...I'm keeping it!
Besides...I'm always happy to cherry pick & gleen ideas from wherever I can for my adventures!
I have U1 & U2...both vintage copies. Just wanted to add the U series to my collection.
I went for TTOEE too. Seems that certain modules are only available for a limited run...I'd seen it in PDF form before....but wanted a physical copy....without paying the insane prices on Ebay or elsewhere!
I never played "The Village of Hommlet"...and the idea of having a "Super Dungeon" is something I'd love to run sometime in the future!
Anywhoo...thought these were 2 very worthwhile purchases...Happy Autumn to you...and EXCELSIOR!
Greetings fellow D&D warhorses! The topic today: My 3 AD&D core books. Creeping up on 40 years that I've owned these books...they're the cornerstone of my collection. I have some 1st prints, original D&D art, hard to find & expensive pieces in the collection...but these are the dearest to my heart. This is going to be a long-winded entry, with a plethora of pics, so get ready! Let the story begin...
I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home...so when the D&D explosion happened, followed soon after by the "Satanic D&D Scare", my folks weren't too keen on my participation in the game.
I probably got into D&D around 1979...it took a couple of years for the hysteria around the game to die down...my Dad realized it was "just a game", and VIOLA! I was gifted the 3 core books for Christmas 1980!
In retrospect I lucked out: 2 of the 3 books must have been sitting on the shelves a bit...they have the older Wizard logo as opposed to the newer TSR logo that you can see on my Monster Manual!
My MM is the 4th edition from 1979, PH a 6th printing from 1980, and the DM Guide is the "revised Edition" also from 1979!
I still own my original copies...even after stopping gaming for decades I was never tempted to get rid of them or sell them off...and I'm damn glad I didn't!
One thing I did do back then...the AD&D "Coloring Album" was out...and that encouraged me to color in my books as well! Kind of wish I hadn't now...but it also makes mine unique to me...I'd be able to pick my books out of a roomful! Let's go thru the pics of each book...some well colored, others are kind of sketchy at best!
The Monster Manual
Some basic, some pretty outstanding for a young teen...and the two full page works by TRAMP I wisely left uncolored!
The Players Handbook
To this day I can't remember/understand what reason I had to color the Bone Devil in "A Paladin in Hell" hot pink! Baffling to say the least...but indeed "unique"!
A tiny bit of color to an iconic work by TRAMP...just the magic mouth needed coloring!
The Dungeon Master's Guide
I seemed to color most of TRAMP's drawings! He was always my favorite D&D artist!
This gem by Darlene has always stuck in my head...as a work of art as as sound philosophy!
The drawings of Will McLean add a bit of "comic relief" to the book! Really fabulous stuff!
TRAMP's Satyr is an outstanding drawing...and one the better coloring jobs be yours truly!
The Iconic "Emirikol the Chaotic" by TRAMP. Kind of regret coloring this magnificent piece...by just look at that incredible magical horse!
It occurred to me as I was looking thru my books....I'll have owned them 39 years this Christmas day. I'm proud that I've kept them in good shape...no loose pages, no torn pages, no mangled covers...
More so than any other D&D product that I own...these are my "Crown Jewels"...I hope that you treasure yours as much as I do mine!
Do you still own your original copies of the 3 core books? Did you color them like I did mine? I hope they've brought you as much enjoyment as mine have to me!
'till nest time...EXCELSIOR!
