Dungeon Master Aids                                                    Home Up

Various materials to assist the Dungeon Master, grouped here for convenience.

Dungeon Masters Adventure Log
Dungeon Master's Design Kit
by Harold Johnson and Aaron Allston
Game Reference Sheets
Greyhawk Reference Sheets
Hex Pad
Hex Sheets
Hexagonal Mapping Booklet
Quadrille Graph Paper
Rogues Gallery
by Brian Blume with Dave Cook and Jean Wells

Dungeon Masters Adventure Log, first published in 1980, contains quick-reference tables, two types of log sheets for party members (to keep track of hit points, AC, items, etc, in a chart format), and some interesting sketches of various armor and weapons.

Dungeon Master's Design Kit was published in 1988, as a general aid for DMs.  It includes three booklets, with forms, charts, and general advice.  Highly rated.

Game Reference Sheets were published in 1975 and 1976, but were not released to the public (used internally only).  The only copies we've seen have been obtained directly from TSR staff members.  The 1976 (orange) version is depicted below; the 1975 version is identical, but has no "trademark applied for" notice, and the copy we've seen is white.

The origin of the Greyhawk Reference Sheets is shrouded in mystery.  Produced in the 1975 to 1976 timeframe, our best guess is that they were produced in-house at TSR and used at the 1975 and/or 1976 GenCon OD&D sessions.  Leftover copies of these were then possibly inserted into the package of customers who ordered both an Original D&D Set (2nd or 3rd print) and a newly-released Greyhawk supplement.  The Sheets consist of three goldenrod-colored 8.5" x 11" loose-leaf pages folded in half, and printed on both sides, to make an unstapled 12-page booklet (much like some copies of the D&D Reference Sheets).  This group of three sheets was then stapled together on an outside corner, which would have kept the "booklet" together and closed.  The sheets replicate tables found in the Greyhawk OD&D Supplement, but with very slight textual changes.  However they were originally distributed, the Greyhawk Reference Sheets are obscenely rare today; only three copies have so far been spotted, and one of those is incomplete.  Thanks to Kynan Connor, Devon & Shawn Hibbs, and Rob Kuntz for this information.

Hex Pad is exactly that: sheets of white hexagonal mapping paper, held together at the top with gummed wax.  Each sheet bears the TSR Wizard logo in the lower left, and the TSR Stock Number (8001) in the lower right.  The pad was first published in 1979.  The third print of the pad was re-titled Hex Book, and expanded to 128 pages. (Thanks to John Justice, Kent Kelly, Mike Kuo, and Rhea Shelley for this info).

We know little about the Hex Sheets, other than that they came in two flavors (large hex and small hex), were assigned two different TSR Stock Numbers (8002 and 8003 respectively), and that they both consist of large (22.5" x 28.5") sheets of hex paper.  More information, and scans, needed.  (Thanks to Kent Kelly for what information we do have).  These TSR-produced Hex Sheets should not be confused with the Hex Sheets released by Games Workshop.

Hexagonal Mapping Booklet is simply a collection of 7/32" hex graph sheets (128 pages, printed on both sides), stapled in booklet format, and given some rudimentary black-and-white cover art.

Quadrille Graph Paper is a pad of 44 sheets of graph paper, made by St. Regis Consumer products under TSR license (and distributed by TSR).  Quite rare.

Rogues Gallery is a collection of pre-rolled PCs, originally published in 1980.  The AD&D 2nd Edition-compatible version (REF6 Rogues Gallery) was published in 1992.
 


Printing Information 

There are no distinguishable printings for Dungeon Master's Design Kit.  Game Reference Sheets, Greyhawk Reference Sheets, and Quadrille Graph Paper had but a single printing.

Dungeon Masters Adventure Log

  • First (1980):  Old-style "Advanced D&D" title centered on top.  Wizard logo.  52 pages total, with 22 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations on first and last pages, not numbered.  All other pages in between are numbered 1-48.  The text on the inside cover page is in blue ink (all other pages in black ink).  Identical copies have been reported with red and with orange covers, and various shades in between.  (Thanks to Jake Bourbon for help with this info).
     
  • Second:  Old-style "Advanced D&D" title centered on top.  Wizard logo.  52 pages total, with 22 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations on first and last pages, not numbered.  All other pages in between are numbered 1-48.  The text on the inside cover page is in black ink, as are all the pages.  Identical copies have been reported with red and with orange covers, and various shades in between.  (Thanks to John Justice for help with this info).
     
  • Third:  Old-style "Advanced D&D" title centered on top.  Wizard logo.  52 pages total, with 22 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations in center of book, but are not numbered; the log pages are numbered 1-48.  The text on the inside cover page is in black ink, as are all the pages.  Cover is in red.
     
  • Fourth:  Old-style "Advanced D&D" title centered on top.  Wizard logo.  52 pages total, with 22 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations in center of book (the two actual copies of this print that we've spotted do not have any illustrations at all; we surmise, however, that the illustration pages were removed by the owners.  Further confirmation needed).  Copies have been spotted with and without 3-hole-punching.  Unlike any previous prints, none of the pages are numbered.  The text on the inside cover page is in black ink, as are all the pages.  Cover is in red.  (Thanks to Tony D'Andrea and William Gregory for this info).
     
  • Fifth:  Old-style "Advanced D&D" title centered on top.  Wizard logo.  48 pages total, with 20 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations in center of book, numbered pp 23-26, and which actually replace the two extra logs that the previous prints contain.  The text on the inside cover page is in black ink, as are all the pages (though a copy has been spotted with the inside cover page text in blue ink).  Cover is in red.  (Thanks to Scott Cisek and Michael Deaton for help with this info).
     
  • Sixth (1983):  Newer-style "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" title centered on top.  Angled TSR logo.  48 pages total, with 20 two-page adventure logs.  Armor and weapon illustrations in center of book, numbered pp 23-26.  Cover is in red.  (Thanks to Jake Bourbon for help with this info).

 Hex Pad

  • First (1979?):  No cover artwork; pad simply begins with the first page.  No cardboard backing.  35 total pages.
     
  • Second:  Has a cover.  No cardboard backing.  49 total pages.
     
  • Third:  Now entitled Hex Book, and expanded to 128 pages.  No cardboard backing.
Hexagonal Mapping Booklet
  • First (1981):  Does not have the Product Number (394-52741-0TSR0500) above the TSR Stock Number (8007) on the bottom right of the front cover.  (Thanks to Michael Deaton and Mike Kuo for this info).  Contrary to rumor, the Hexagonal Mapping Booklet was never published without artwork -- the rumormongers are most likely getting it confused with the Hex Pad.
     
  • Second:  Has the Product Number (394-52741-0TSR0500) above the TSR Stock Number (8007) on the bottom right of the front cover.  (Thanks to Michael Deaton for this info).
Quadrille Graph Paper
  • There was but a single printing of this item.

Rogues Gallery

  • First (1980):  Old-style "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" title centered on top.  Wizard logo, 11" tall.  Copies have been spotted with and without 3-hole-punching; unknown which came first (if they are indeed separate printings).  Table of Contents in black ink.  No ISBN or Product number on back.
     
  • Second:  As First, but now has a line on bottom of front cover stating "Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors".  Wizard logo, 11" tall.  Table of Contents in black ink.  No ISBN or Product number on back (thanks to John Justice for this info).
     
  • Third:  As Second, but now 10 3/4" tall (thanks to John Justice for this info).
     
  • Fourth:  As Third, but Table of Contents now in blue ink, and ISBN number on back cover bottom left, Product Number back cover bottom right.
     
  • Fifth (1983?):  Newer-style "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" title centered on top.  Angled TSR logo.  May have been printed with and without 3-hole-punching as well.
     
  • Sixth:  Revised for compatibility with 2nd Edition AD&D, featuring new artwork, and bearing the REF6 code.  As contributor Mike Badolato writes, "it's not simply an update or rework of the 1st edition product, but is in fact a completely different product bearing no resemblance to the original.  Contains loose-leaf three-hole-punched sheets with pictures, stats, and backgrounds on various characters for 2nd Edition".  Labeled as REF6 Rogues Gallery on our REF page.

Thanks to John Kozol for the scan of the First print DM's Log, to Leonard Riotto for the scan of Dungeon Master's Design Kit, to Kynan Connor for the scan of the Game Reference Sheets and Greyhawk Reference Sheets, to Rhea Shelley for the scan of the First print of the Hex Pad, to Mike Kuo for the scan of the Second print of the Hex Pad, to Kent Kelly for the scan of the Hex Book, to Michael Fox for the scan of Hexagonal Mapping Booklet, and to Adrian Newman for the scan of Quadrille Graph Paper and Rogues Gallery (6th prt).
 
DMLog.jpg (66583 bytes)DMLog2nd.jpg (69880 bytes)DMDesign.jpg (49676 bytes)GameRef.jpg (42772 bytes)
DMs Adv. Log (1st-5th) DMs Adv. Log (6th)DM's Design KitGame Reference SheetsGreyhawk Ref Sheets
     
Hex Pad (1st)Hex Pad (2nd)Hex Book (3rd)Hex Sheets (large)Hex Sheets (small)
     
Quadrille.jpg (69213 bytes)Rogue1st.jpg (66732 bytes)Rogue2nd.jpg (78394 bytes)
Hexagonal Map Book
(2nd)
 
Quadrille Graph Paper
 
Rogues Gallery (1st)
 
Rogues Gallery (5th)
 
Rogues Gallery (6th)
 


Auction Commentary & History

Both the Hex Pad and Quadrille Graph Paper are quite rare -- especially with all pages accounted for.  Only two copies of Greyhawk Reference Sheets are known to exist.  Hex Sheets are even rarer; we've never seen one sold.  All of these items were certainly never kept around for collecting purposes....

  • DM's Log:  1st prt NM/SW: $16 (4/00), 1st prt NM/SW: $6 (7/00)

  • Quadrille Graph Paper:  FN: $69 (11/04)