In Quest of the Hand of Vecna?

Posts: 74 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:02 pm

Kill,

I think I am going to throw it up on the classifieds with a link to this thread. I'm pretty much wanting OD&D items such as the box set and/or supplements since I started out with the blue basic set. I never had the chance to read/play the original. I'm also interested in the supermodules but we'll see what happens. Thanks as I didn't think to actually put what I was wanting in here.

GreyM

Posts: 2338 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:12 pm

Just one follow up note on this. I've been chatting with John and he found out from another of the authors that about 20 copies of Hand of Vecna were sold at a convention in Bowling Green State University, near Toledo.

So far they aren't quite sure where the "manuscript" copy with white title page, black ink and a picture of an egg with snake wrapped around it came from.

Of the copies that look like this,

apparently 100 copies were printed, about 20 sold, 10 might have been given away and the rest went with one of the authors. So there might still be a stash of these still kicking around. I have only ever seen 1 of these go by on Ebay.

Posts: 8 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:29 pm

Hey there. I'm the guy that John was talking to. A couple additional details:

The original product was printed at the University of Michigan (on those Lisa computers).

I do seem to remember that someone told me they used it at a convention once. Possibly the Bowling Green convention where we first sold it. At least I think it was Bowling Green. That's the way I have always remembered it anyway.

To bad "The Box" with the hand never made it into the product. Its one of my fondest memories of my D&D days. I knew we should have kept Carl locked in his room another day or two.

Posts: 8 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:43 am

GreyM - Those scans seem to have a weird washed out brownish color to them. I remember a color like Mars scan above.

Trivia - The High Level Bridge in Toledo (over the Maumee in down town) was the name sake for our company. I think I am the one who actually came up with that.

I have a picture somewhere of Bob and I at the selling table at the Bowling Green convention. I'll have to try to dig it up.

BTW, John and I both agree that its very good to hear the interest in this after so long a time. Quite the nostalgia trip.

Posts: 2338 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:22 am

Hi nano, good to see you here. Do you remember why there was a chance of address from Vecna to Serpent?

Vecna was 135 University Blvd and Serpent is 3737 Schneider Road.

Posts: 8 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:21 am

No kidding? 3737 Schneider was my home address back then. I have no idea why we did that. Maybe because I was the only guy living in town at the time (went to University of Toledo). Everyone else went to school out of town.

John, Carl - Chime in here guys. MORGOTH KNOWS YOU ARE WATCHING!

Posts: 2938 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:31 am

Hi nano---

I'm definitely interested in talking with you and John about your leveraging of Greyhawk elements in the Hand of Vecna and how they were/weren't changed in The Seprent of Met'al (which I don't own).

John obviously made use of some Vecna/DMG terms/elements---Vecna and Kas---but also added in at least some GH elements too ("Baklunish" appears, for example). So I'd be very interested in further info/details on your original placement of this in Greyhawk, whether mentioned in the text of hte module or simply how you ran it at home or in tournaments.

Also, if you (or anyone else) has any confirmed details about Hand of Vecna being run at a Bowling Green convention, I'd be happy to add the adventure to my roster of GH (and early D&D) tournament events at http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_tourneys.html

Thanks!

Posts: 8 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:27 am

Hey grodog,

Carl is your man for HoV. I was just the crazy CE MU (lich) trying to take over the world. John then helped Carl with revisions on SoM.

John is trying to join this forum. Might take him a day or two though. Not sure if Carl is planning on joining or not.

Details on the Bowling Green convention would be hard to come by at this point. I'm pretty sure a guy bought one and used it right away that weekend for an event he had planned.

BTW - I remember people being astounded at the difficulty level of the module. lol - Not sure we had ever heard of "Campaign Control" until then. Might be called the "Battle-cloud Galactica" syndrome I guess.

Posts: 2338 · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:49 pm

nano wrote:

BTW - I remember people being astounded at the difficulty level of the module. lol - Not sure we had ever heard of "Campaign Control" until then. Might be called the "Battle-cloud Galactica" syndrome I guess.

Yes, I was going to ask why such a high level module was written. SoM states it is for part of 7, average level 16 with at least two +5 weapons and a wide variety of other powerful magic.

Posts: 8 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:56 pm

Ah...here we go....That's me on the right.

Posts: 2919 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:13 pm

Ahh. Now I know why you use the name "nano". Very Happy

Posts: 74 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:15 pm

nano wrote:

GreyM - Those scans seem to have a weird washed out brownish color to them. I remember a color like Mars scan above.
...
...
BTW, John and I both agree that its very good to hear the interest in this after so long a time. Quite the nostalgia trip.

The actual pages are more white like his scan. I think it was the lighting and/or my 10 year old digital camera Very Happy

I keep my old one at work (Canon 2.0 megapixel) where I took them. At home, I use my wife's Rebel XTi.

I'm glad John got ahold of you and let you know about this thread and site. That photo is great. The copy of the Hand I have might have been one of those on the table to your left(if thats what those are).

The guy that told me he thought he played this at a convention might have actually played this there.

I've thanked John and Carl and now I get to thank you for atleast giving us more information regarding this (and the picture) Razz

GreyM

Posts: 2616 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:49 am

nano wrote:

Ah...here we go....That's me on the right.

Okay, seriously ... you know who you guys look like exactly? Tom Cruise and his buddies doing their Junior Businessmen thing in Risky Business. You know, with that thing they made? The paper-towel dispenser or whatever the hell it was?

I mean, it's uncanny! I even see Docksider shoes!

Posts: 8 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:28 am

LOL! oh sorry...I mean "XD!"

That is funny. I've always loved the movie "Risky Business". Maybe that had something to do with it. Bob always had some kind of "sure-fire" money making scheme in his head. I think he actually got that from Junior Achievement. Are you saying I look like Tom Cruise? Man....I do NOT like that guy these days.

OK. Can't resist a couple more shots...

First gaming group shot we ever took (John in suit, Carl center back):

John and Carl (Carl on left, John seated, Bob in background)

Long Live High Level Adventures!

Posts: 4716 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:27 am

Rest assured, you do not look like Tom Cruise.

Posts: 3188 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:20 am

Tom Cruise is Crazy

ShaneG.

Posts: 2919 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:33 am

The chick standing to the left of the Asian dwarf...was that your girlfriend?

Posts: 8 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:59 pm

You mean the man that has dedicated his life to working with the disabled?

There are also two doctors in this group that work hard everyday to save lives. Not to mention a very talented and highly paid research engineer.

Posts: 4543 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:49 pm

nano wrote:

You mean the man that has dedicated his life to working with the disabled?

There are also two doctors in this group that work hard everyday to save lives. Not to mention a very talented and highly paid research engineer.

Sounds like my old group. I'm by far the least employable of anyone, although everyone else went on to social and financial success. And I had a bad 70's fro when I first started DMing (hell no I'm not posting a picture). My claim to fame is owning a lot of D&D crap, having lots of posts on the Acaeum, and being attacked by a giant shrew in Tegel Manor Evil or Very Mad

BTW have been following the thread with interest.

Mike B.

Posts: 2616 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:07 pm

Xaxaxe wrote:

The paper-towel dispenser or whatever the hell it was?

It was the Memo-Minder™ !

I actually found a version of the script online ... yes, my life is an empty wasteland, lacking in meaning or substance.

Fun memories of sneaking into that movie, though. And that was one of my favorite parts: they made like $312 with the Memo-Minder, then grossed like $10,000 with their party full of call girls.