Maybe the 300 numbered copies.



ShaneG.

grodog wrote:They did a limited edition version of 300 at GenCon last year, from what I hear, but I'm not sure whether they were signed/numbered or not---I've heard that they printed many more than 300 sets, so I'm not sure if there's any way to differentiate them or not.



I think the verdict is still out on whether they'll be very collectible; that will likely be decided on whether or not Gygax and Kuntz do in fact publish Castle Zagyg (ahem, Greyhawk) using the C&C rules set. The regional area sourcebook for CZ, entitled Yggsburgh, was just released and is apprently pretty good, though I haven't seen it yet.

I believe Castle Zagyg just came out, I think that's what they were going on about at the con, I'm not sure, I was really just after the OD&Desque box...probably won't even play.

I've got this set, too.  It's pretty cool.  I think they did a nice job with it, but the box doesn't feel like it'll hold up as well as the OD&D box sets.  I also like their strategy of releasing the OCE look-alike, and then putting out the players handbook in hardcover soon afterward.

afoolandhis$ wrote:I've got this set, too. It's pretty cool. I think they did a nice job with it, but the box doesn't feel like it'll hold up as well as the OD&D box sets. I also like their strategy of releasing the OCE look-alike, and then putting out the players handbook in hardcover soon afterward.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a marketing strategy.  The Collector's Edition was born from the delays in playtesting the Players Handbook.



The hardcover was anticipated for release at that Gen Con, but with playtester discussions on certain topics taking longer than anticipated, Troll Lord Games simply ran out of time.  They were forced to push the release of the hardcover back (and it ended up being released just before Christmas of last year).  So as not to be without something to sell, they took the playtest document and created the Collector's Edition, found someone who would saddle stitch the books AND create a box, and had a thousand sets (or so) printed.  The original PHB in the box set had serious spelling errors that were not caught, so the original PHB booklets were all pulled from the boxes and replaced with an error corrected version.  Just in time for Gen Con they got the Spartan 300 signed and took them to Gen Con as well as a few unsigned copies.



The rest is as you know it.  The Spartan 300 sold out, and on the website, the unsigned "Collector's Edition" is still available.  The Trolls though as of late have been giving away the Players Handbook booklets as a freebie at conventions.  It's my guess that these were the original booklets with spelling errors.

zhowar1 wrote: I'm not a big fan of the art they are using. It reminds me of Boris Vallejo. I wish they would use art similar to Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Couldn't agree with you more.  That's about the only thing I don't like about their stuff.  Goodman Games, on the other hand, has really got it nailed, IMO.

afoolandhis$ wrote:

zhowar1 wrote: I'm not a big fan of the art they are using. It reminds me of Boris Vallejo. I wish they would use art similar to Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Couldn't agree with you more. That's about the only thing I don't like about their stuff. Goodman Games, on the other hand, has really got it nailed, IMO.

Well, they just arrived today and inbetween researching minutia and eBaying, I took a look through.  



Looks like they took D&D, took out 25-30 years of crap, and gave it a tuneup where it needed.  Harami, if you're listening, I think we found the 8th printing.  I may start playing again.

deimos3428 wrote:

afoolandhis$ wrote:


Couldn't agree with you more. That's about the only thing I don't like about their stuff. Goodman Games, on the other hand, has really got it nailed, IMO.

Well, they just arrived today and inbetween researching minutia and eBaying, I took a look through.



Looks like they took D&D, took out 25-30 years of crap, and gave it a tuneup where it needed. Harami, if you're listening, I think we found the 8th printing. I may start playing again.

    That sounds like a good description of Hackmaster.    :)