serleran wrote:Received CZ10 and CZ11 GenCon printings (which were supposed to have been pulped after the con and not sold) in the mail today, which completes my CZ collection -- now have all the various printings that I am aware of, anyway.

How do you differentiate these prints?  I have two CZ 11s on with a bar code on the back and one without.

I also picked up a GenCon East Mark lately too.  I have a signed copy of CZ13 too.

There are some easy ways to distinguish between GenCon release of CZ10 and the "standard release."

When you open the standard release, and look at the copyright page, the "heraldry" is much smaller and is black and white. Page 37 has a floor plan map (and the layout is much, much different in general.) This version has 48 numbered pages.

When you open the GenCon release and look at the copyright page, the "heraldry" is about 1 inch by 1 inch and is grayscale (colored in gray), and does not have a map floorplan on Page 37. Furthermore, the GenCon printing is 52 numbered pages.

It has something to do with the maps not there in the 1st print (though iirc still some maps in the book)

On a quick flip through the GenCon version: there are no maps. None.

I'll have to dig into the differences on CZ11 between GenCon and "normal" printings, as I don't have the time to compare them right now (have to go to work.)

However, my signed and numbered East Mark Gazetteer does have an ISBN but is a different print from the other East Mark Gazetteer that I have as well.

Plaag wrote:What are the differences, because I can't recall if I got mine from Gencon or later.

One easy check is that copyright on the back of the GenCon one says 2007 and the later one says 2008.  Another difference is that the price on the GenCon one is within the barcode box - on the later one it is there too but also in bigger font underneath the box.

Yeah, I'll do my best. Have to wait until sometime next week, though when I can clear time to get to the scanner or whip out the digital camera to take some pictures of the "heraldry" thing I mentioned.

There were two places I went to, and neither of them reported having many customers, and this only moments before closing so there had been plenty of opportunity for another. For one, it is because they are ordinarily too packed with shipping crates and boxes for taking things to Origins for sale. For the other... well, it is a hole-in-the-wall in a one-horse town (though they did have a 1st print C&C PHB, which I did not purchase.)

Anyway, I managed to piuck up the following items:

Castles and Crusades: A Primer [x8] (7 will be offered to those who were unable to participate; one remains in my collection). This was done so that people who could not even go into a FLGS to try and get them may be able to still receive them, without the ludicrous "spend $15" crap -- with me, it will be to cover the cost of shipping.

Dragon Warriors Introductory Book (cheaper than buying the rules to see if its worthwhile)

Pathfinder Bonus Bestiary

Q-Workshop d10-d8 Dice Package

Q-Workshop d12-d4 Dice Package

Q-Workshop d20-d6 Package

Official Free RPG Day Logo d6

Monty Python Fluxx "Sir Not Appearing In This Game" Promo Card [not actually part of Free RPG Day, but it was there and I wanted it.]

And then, for the non-free stuff:

Monty Python Fluxx Castle Expansion

Fluxx Blanxx

Bladestorm Bestiary

GAZ1: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos

GAZ3: The Principalities of Glantri

GAZ13: The Shadow Elves

Role Aids 706: Tower of Magicks

Role Aids 728: Clockwork Mage

Haven: Secrets of the Labyrinth

City of the Sacred Flame: A Complete Campaign Module set in the World of Haven

I12: Egg of the Phoenix

Call of Cthulhu 1st Edition, 1st Printing Box Set

Cthulhu By Gaslight Box Set

H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands Box Set

Spawn of Azathoth Box Set

Arkham Horror Original Board Game Version

Reaper 03253: Jungle Girl with Sabretooth Cat

Reaper 2018: Familiars

Reaper 2843: Undead Bathalian

Reaper 2983: Familiars Pack IX

Plastic Pre-Painted Dire Badger

I was quite happy with this purchase. It includes a Publishers cover proof of the book 'Search for the Palantir' which is often discussed on MERP sites. Not sure if this is a rare thing or not. I had certainly never seen it before, which was why I bid:


** expired/removed eBay auction **

Zenopus76 wrote:

I was the second highest bidder with $15.53. I'm glad you got them; sorry to raise the price. I did win the ICE Narnia Solo gamebook proofs from the same seller, and for only $1 + shipping:


** expired/removed eBay auction **


Just arrived today in excellent condition. While the auction states all three were never published, I believe two were published, though the proofs have different (demo) artwork from the final versions.

Hermit: question for you. Has anyone ever translated to English one of the foreign versions (Spanish/Portuguese/Italian, IIRC) of Search for the Palantir?

Hi Zenopus, I had no idea there were foreign versions. I have been collecting MERP for quite few years but have never seen 'Search for the Palantir'. The old Mike Chapman site, long since vanished stated it was never published. Icewebring also states not sure if ever published. Although it is listed on Amazon, I have never seen one come up.

If you do a search for 'Search for the Palantir' you only get a fraction of the pages you do on a normal book search. I checked those and none have any evidence of an English book - although I did see a cover of the Italian one.

Hmm. Interesting, maybe the legal action prevented the English one from being published, but the foreign versions got under the radar. It would be great to solve the story behind it.

Nice win there of Abysthor, M. Looks like a minty copy for $10. A bargain!