Here's an odd story that WOTC posted on their website today. Apparently, they just had a TSR warehouse in Wisconsin emptied out and shipped to the WOTC offices, and they're handing stuff out willy-nilly to employees.

D&D books, magazines, minis, action figures, computer and analog games, puzzle books, rub-off transfers, even a sleeping bag! I couldn't believe TSR made all this stuff! Apparently it all came from a warehouse in Wisconsin where TSR kept its archives. Recently we had it sent here, and the items at my desk barely scratched the surface of what other boxes around the rest of the office held.

(The full article is a PDF; might require a wizards.com account to download.)

wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drcw ... onfessions

Is that the sound of an upcoming ebay sunami?

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... speculation about reprinting of lots of 1st and 2nd edition material?  Can't imagine things like this would be publicized for giggles unless there were an agenda (nostalgia hype / fueling the frenzy).  Which they seem to have already partially succeeded at, as I'm very, VERY curious to know what they pulled out and how I can get my hands on some of it, if it is indeed in "new condition".

Those that cannot procure the originals might be "afforded the opportunity" by WOTC to still "participate in the experience" thanks to thier wonderfully and carefully crafted reprints of all those things we loved as children.

Just saying.

So, what's the secret plan - an exhibit? A museum? Using the books to make high quality scans for new pdfs or reprints for sale? Something for the 40th anniversary of OD&D (1974)? Reproductions of the Halloween costumes?  

From the article, discussing the Fiend Folio:  "I had seen a much-loved, busted-spine, root-beerstained copy of this book once when someone brought it in for reference."  ONCE.  This from Shelly Mazzanobile, who wrote Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons: One Woman's Quest to Turn Self-Help for Elf-Help, correct?

This, friends, is why Dungeon Crawl Classics is the true successor to Gygaxian AD&D, and why -- for as long as WotC controls the D&D brand - we can't have nice things.  

[Old person is olding, rant over   ]

darkseraphim wrote:From the article, discussing the Fiend Folio:  "I had seen a much-loved, busted-spine, root-beerstained copy of this book once when someone brought it in for reference."  ONCE.  This from Shelly Mazzanobile, who wrote Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons: One Woman's Quest to Turn Self-Help for Elf-Help, correct?

This, friends, is why Dungeon Crawl Classics is the true successor to Gygaxian AD&D, and why -- for as long as WotC controls the D&D brand - we can't have nice things.  :evil:

[Old person is olding, rant over  :lol: ]

Shelly is an absolute fraud anyway. Don't get me wrong, she's probably a pleasant person. But someone at WOTC tried to turn her into the female face of the hobby and she's got about as much knowledge of old school as my grandson (actually, surely less). I forgot more about D&D taking a dump today than she's ever known in her life.

Mike B.

Zenfinite wrote:

Badmike wrote:
Shelly is an absolute fraud anyway. Don't get me wrong, she's probably a pleasant person. But someone at WOTC tried to turn her into the female face of the hobby and she's got about as much knowledge of old school as my grandson (actually, surely less). I forgot more about D&D taking a dump today than she's ever known in her life.

Mike B.

You know, I met her at Gen Con a couple years ago. Very, very nice lady, also very passionate about the hobby. For her to be a "fraud" she'd have to pretend to be something she is not. She's a new, passionate gamer who loves D&D. I don't ever recall her claiming to be the voice of old school. I mean, c'mon dude, why are we attacking people who just like D&D? That's not how we do things here at The Acaeum.

Zen

Granted she probably doesn't know she's a fraud (and perhaps WotC doesn't either), but what she represents isn't D&D. Far be it for me to come off sounding like one of the old guard here, but if 4th edition (or heaven forefend D&D "Next") is D&D, I'm a monkey's uncle and the Acaeum is way obsolete. I don't think either is the case.

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:

Zenfinite wrote:
You know, I met her at Gen Con a couple years ago. Very, very nice lady, also very passionate about the hobby. For her to be a "fraud" she'd have to pretend to be something she is not. She's a new, passionate gamer who loves D&D. I don't ever recall her claiming to be the voice of old school. I mean, c'mon dude, why are we attacking people who just like D&D? That's not how we do things here at The Acaeum.

Zen

Granted she probably doesn't know she's a fraud (and perhaps WotC doesn't either), but what she represents isn't D&D. Far be it for me to come off sounding like one of the old guard here, but if 4th edition (or heaven forefend D&D "Next") is D&D, I'm a monkey's uncle and the Acaeum is way obsolete. I don't think either is the case.

'

I''m going to go with this.  Like I said he's probably a very pleasant person, but her idea of D&D and mine would probably have very little common ground.  Shelly being passionate about new school D&D is fine but IMO she could just as well be passionate about Magic: The Gathering or Vampire: The Masquerade.  I mean, the Jersey Shore "actors" are probably great people to grab a brew with but their idea of entertainment is idiotic. Her books are nothing more than an attempt at marketing by WOTC...even though her books have very little about actual gaming and a lot about, well, her. But hey, WOTC, keep appealing to that 5% share of gamers in an attempt to get more women in the game (BTW, you get more women in the game by creating a compelling and awesome game, not having shills for your company write crap books).

If you don't think she's a fraud read excerpts from"Part Time Sorceress"....the ones where she wants to take her D&D character shopping at specialty stores for clothes and shoes.  Really?  Well, really, no, but the powers that be at WOTC probably thought that sounded cool.

Mike B.

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:Get used to it; I have. It's the same feeling I get when someone says he doesn't "get" Lovecraft, or claims to be a Lord of the Rings fan only to admit ten seconds later that they've never read the books, only seen the film. Bah humbug.

I hope you are not referring to me?  

I "get" Lovecraft he just doesn't "get" me.  

Disco