2nd Edition Reprints

You've probably heard that Wizards of the Coast has announced they will be reprinting the core 2nd edition books, plus some adventure modules. I will not be buying them, but I think having any of the (current) four editions available is a net positive. The one thing I think they did wrong is release them as collector's additions instead of books meant for gaming.

This decision has me questioning their end game. I don't think Wizards actually want to maintain active support of all of these editions. That these reprints are being released while 5e is being assembled makes me wonder if Wizards is looking to gauge which previous edition they should emulate most. I know this is a cynical view, but I sincerely doubt they released these reprints because fans want them. If nothing else, I'm willing to bet they were reaction to the OSR and Pathfinder. After 5e drops, whenever that is, what's the likelihood that Wizards will release Collector's reprints of 4e?

The Birds Outside the Academy

You may have noticed the Twitter feed that has replaced all of those awesome (and well-funded) Kickstarter projects. The amount of time I spend planning, prepping, and reading about games is considerable, but I don't have the want to increase the number of times I post here beyond my normal schedule. It's mostly an issue of just not having enough time to give a post enough attention more than three times a week. That's where the Twitter account comes in.

In addition to various game-related miscellanea, my Twitter feed will contain live impressions of every module or RPG product I consume. I feel it's bad form to to a full-length review of something before it's lived on the gaming table for a night, but there's not as much room for the granular details and observations I make as I work through this stuff in those longer pieces either.

You can expect live commentary as I conduct my readings of the following books in the very near future:

• DCC Free RPG Day 2012 Module
• DCC#69: The Emerald Enchanter
• DCC#70: Jewels of the Carnifex
• AD&D First Edition Players Handbook
• AD&D First Edition Monster Manual
• AD&D First Edition Dungeon Master's Guide
• Swords Against Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
• Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber
• Swords in the Mist by Fritz Leiber
• Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber

All of those have been acquired or are in the mail making their way to my hovel in the city. In addition, expect to see any future Goodman Games modules for DCC RPG, the newly-expanded Dungeon Alphabet, and the Brave Halflin Press Appendix N modules get the same treatment as they trickle in throughout the year.

To get a sense of what this will look like, you should dig through my past tweets as I've already covered DCC#68 The People of the Pit. 

To AD&D or not AD&D?

These were released last Tuesday. I haven't acquired them yet, and I'm not entirely sure I will. When I finished my Pathfinder campaign earlier this spring, I was left feeling dissatisfied. I don't think it was because I put together a bad game, or that it didn't turn out the way I wanted. Rather, the amount of work necessary to bring my ideas to fruition was far too overwhelming. Immediately after the campaign ended, I began looking at other systems.

This is when I learned that Wizards of the Coast was reprinting the first edition books. I've never played first edition, or any of the numerous OSR games, for that matter but I knew I wanted a simpler game. It just so happens that Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG showed up on my radar at exactly the same time. If you have read my blog with any consistency these last few months, you know that this has become the preferred system in my gaming groups.

So why am I hesitant about these reprints?

First, If I'm going to purchase a new game system, it needs to do one of two things: make it easier to craft the stories I want to tell or offer a completely different experience. I'm not sure AD&D does either of these things.I suppose I would need to see the rules before I make this claim, but I've been playing some version of this game for twelve years now.

The other reason is the barrier to entry; these books are expensive! Both the Player's Handbook and the Monsterr Manual are barely over 100 pages and clock in at $35 each. The Dungeon Master's Guide is more substantial, but it's also $10 more. I know these are supposed to be collector's editions, but it's my understanding that the only differences between these and the originals is the cover art and the gold-lined, gilded page edges.

It's too hard to resist the temptation to compare them to other games on the market. The Pathfinder core book, which is 500+ full color pages is only a hair more expensive than the DMG. DCC RPG, which includes an entire game system, is only $40. The Burning Wheel core book is over 600 pages and only costs $25. I could go on.

However, despite all of the practical reasons I have to convince myself to pass on these reprints, I am genuinely curious about the game's roots. Not $120 curious, but it just so happens that you can find copies of the originals in decent enough shape for about half that price.