Treasured Surviving Relics

Collector's Guide to the Original Dungeons & Dragons Boxed Set (1974–1979) First published in 1974, the original boxed edition of Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most important and collectible games ever produced. This guide helps identify the principal printings using box artwork, booklet variations, printer information, Tolkien references and other distinguishing features. Retain all of the original photographs from the historical article in their existing order. Box Cover from the First Printing (1974) Identifying Your Copy Printing Date Box Key Identifier Tolkien Terms Rarity First Alpha Jan 1974 Woodgrain Horizontal woodgrain Present ★★★★★ First Beta Mid 1974 Woodgrain Errata sheet Present ★★★★★ First Gamma Late 1974/75 Woodgrain Leftover components Present ★★★★★ Second Jan 1975 Woodgrai...

Box Cover from the First Printing (1974) Few games have had the cultural impact of Dungeons & Dragons . Published in January 1974 by the newly formed Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), this modest boxed set did far more than introduce a new game—it created an entirely new form of entertainment. From modern tabletop role-playing games and computer RPGs to fantasy novels, films and online gaming, the influence of those three little brown booklets continues to shape popular culture more than fifty years later. Today the original boxed set has become one of the most sought-after artefacts in gaming history. Early woodgrain editions regularly command thousands at auction, but their true value lies in what they represent: the birth of the role-playing hobby. From Chainmail to Dungeons & Dragons The origins of Dungeons & Dragons lie in the growing popularity of miniature wargaming during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Players recreated historical battles using...

Many fantasy readers know the names of Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and Gary Gygax, yet comparatively few have heard of the work that inspired so much of what followed. The Kalevala , Finland's national epic, preserves ancient oral traditions whose influence can still be felt throughout modern fantasy literature and role-playing games. Compiled by Elias Lönnrot and published in 1849, the epic weaves together heroic adventures, magic, monsters, tragic love stories and the mysterious Sampo into one of Europe's greatest mythological works. Principal Characters Character Role Why They Matter Väinämöinen Ancient bard and sage Wise hero whose songs possess magical power. Ilmarinen Master smith Creator of the legendary Sampo. Lemminkäinen Warrior Hero whose death and restoration form one of the epic's great episodes. Louhi Mistress of Pohjola Powerful sorceress and guardian of the Sampo. Joukahainen Rival Challenges Väinämöinen in the famous singing contest. The Great S...

Series Contents Part One – The Birth of Chainmail Part Two – The Fantasy Supplement That Changed Everything Part Three – Blackmoor and the Birth of Role-Playing Part Four – From Chainmail to Dungeons & Dragons Part Five – The Legacy of Chainmail Collector's Guide to Chainmail Editions This companion reference provides a quick identification guide to the principal editions and printings of Chainmail . While many minor variations exist, the editions below are those most commonly encountered by collectors. Edition Year(s) Publisher Cover Binding Key Identifiers Tolkien Terms Rarity 1st Edition 1971 Guidon Games Yellow-orange Stapled 62 pages, no publisher address Present ★★★★★ 2nd Edition (1st) 1972 Guidon Games Yellow-orange Stapled Evansville address, white inside cover Present ★★★★☆ 2nd Edition (2nd) 1972 Guidon Games Yellow-orange Stapled Belfast address, orange inside cover Present ★★★★☆ 3rd Edition (1st) 1975 TSR Yellow-orange Stapled GK logo, $5 cov...

  Continue the series ⬅ Part Four – From Chainmail to Dungeons & Dragons Series Contents Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Collector's Guide More than half a century after its publication, Chainmail occupies a unique place in gaming history. Although it began life as a medieval miniatures wargame, its Fantasy Supplement helped create an entirely new form of entertainment that would become known as the role-playing game. Overshadowed by Its Successor The phenomenal success of Dungeons & Dragons inevitably pushed Chainmail into the background. Many gamers know the name only because the original 1974 rules referred readers to its combat system. Yet without Chainmail , the first role-playing game would almost certainly have looked very different. A Collector's Treasure Today original editions of Chainmail are prized by collectors of gaming history. Early Guidon Games printings, first-edition Fa...

Continue the series ⬅ Part Three – Blackmoor and the Birth of Role-Playing   |   Part Five – The Legacy of Chainmail ➡ Series Contents Part One – The Birth of Chainmail Part Two – The Fantasy Supplement That Changed Everything Part Three – Blackmoor and the Birth of Role-Playing Part Four – From Chainmail to Dungeons & Dragons Part Five – The Legacy of Chainmail Companion Reference – The Collector's Guide to Chainmail Editions  By 1973 Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson had demonstrated that fantasy battles could become fantasy adventures. The remaining challenge was to transform those ideas into a coherent rules system that anyone could play. Building a New Game Working together, Gygax and Arneson expanded the concepts first explored in Blackmoor . Combat mechanics from Chainmail , fantasy creatures from the Fantasy Supplement and the campaign structure pioneered by Arneson were gradually woven into an entirely new game. The emphas...