The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:14 am 
 

I've found six copies of The Abduction of Good King Despot, with the following prices (each of which includes shipping):

$39.98
$51.98
$53.49
$53.98
$91.17
$100.99

8O

Is this module commanding $40 nowadays, or are these sellers just dreaming?

  

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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:39 am 
 

They are just dreaming.  Like all the new infinities modules it is about $10 - $15 at most.

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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:15 am 
 

That's about right.
$20 tops in mint condition.
It's a good read mind you.


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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:10 am 
 

I just sold a copy for $24, and it sat in my store for quite awhile.....

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:16 am 
 

. wrote:It's a good read mind you.


The Abduction of Good King Despot is a good read and I think it was one of Gary's favourites.  I know I have said this a few times in the past but it is about as close to meeting Gary that I came so I will retell my tale once more.

Gary was the guest of honour at a Gaming Expo in Toronto, Ontario, Canada a few years back.  As part of his guestly duties he ran the final table of the RPG tournament.  The module that he chose to run was "The Abduction of Good King Despot".  The organizers didn't have a copy, but they found my webpage of stuff for sale where I had one listed.  It was already sold but I agreed to let them borrow my collection copy but I wanted it back.  After the Expo, Gary tried to give it back to various volunteers but no one would take it so he ended up bringing it home with him.  I eventually tracked it down and asked him to sign it and it was shipped back to me.

I went to the Expo, but missed out on seeing Gary and had to settle for meeting Deimos instead.

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Post Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:54 am 
 

Mars wrote:I went to the Expo, but missed out on seeing Gary and had to settle for meeting Deimos instead.
"Settle?"  C'mon now, I would have signed stuff if you had asked.  :lol:

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Post Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 10:47 pm 
 

I just finished reading The Abduction of Good King Despot, and it was an interesting read, but not as great as I hoped.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  In some circles, including Gary Gygax, this is a favorite D&D module/kit.  I liked the intro humor, and I always love having an illustration booklet.  I wish every adventure sold had one of these, but they are surprisingly rare.  I guess the art expense limits their availability.  The story-line was too whimsical and manufactured which means it is mostly a puzzle railroad.  And believe it or not, there are several places where the DM is just supposed to make up a trap or fill in a monster within the dungeon.  The worst part was none of the monsters have stats.  You are given a formula to derive the monster stats based on the strength of the party, but I'd rather have the stats provided that I can adjust up or down. Like I said, it was an interesting read but would not ever be an adventure I would run as a DM.

Finally, on page 22 of the adventure, does anyone know the properties of the magical paint containers from room 45?  The adventure states that you have to send a SASE to the module writers to find out.   8O


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Post Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:16 pm 
 

Thanks for this post. This has been on my active pursue list lately but I haven't found one for my price yet.


Carpe DM!

  


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Post Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:55 am 
 

benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:I just finished reading The Abduction of Good King Despot, and it was an interesting read, but not as great as I hoped.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  In some circles, including Gary Gygax, this is a favorite D&D module/kit.  [snip] Like I said, it was an interesting read but would not ever be an adventure I would run as a DM.


My sense is that it plays better than it reads, but I'm sure that would depend on your players, too, Chris.

benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:Finally, on page 22 of the adventure, does anyone know the properties of the magical paint containers from room 45?  The adventure states that you have to send a SASE to the module writers to find out.   8O


I don't think I have such info among my notes to/from NIPI from back in the day, but I pinged Will to see if he still remembers the details.  Frank may also recall, perhaps?


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Post Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:45 pm 
 

There's a couple of play sessions here:
Knights & Knaves Alehouse • Login
and here:
Knights & Knaves Alehouse • Login
if anyone wants to take a peek.

I'd love to hear about those magical paint containers as well! :)

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Post Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 12:29 am 
 

benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:I just finished reading The Abduction of Good King Despot, and it was an interesting read, but not as great as I hoped.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  In some circles, including Gary Gygax, this is a favorite D&D module/kit.  I liked the intro humor, and I always love having an illustration booklet.  I wish every adventure sold had one of these, but they are surprisingly rare.  I guess the art expense limits their availability.  The story-line was too whimsical and manufactured which means it is mostly a puzzle railroad.  And believe it or not, there are several places where the DM is just supposed to make up a trap or fill in a monster within the dungeon.  The worst part was none of the monsters have stats.  You are given a formula to derive the monster stats based on the strength of the party, but I'd rather have the stats provided that I can adjust up or down. Like I said, it was an interesting read but would not ever be an adventure I would run as a DM.

Finally, on page 22 of the adventure, does anyone know the properties of the magical paint containers from room 45?  The adventure states that you have to send a SASE to the module writers to find out.   8O


From all accounts it was EGG's favorite module to run at conventions, when he was in Houston for a con a few years before he passed away he requested the organizers supply him with a copy, and I believe they bought it from me (memory is fuzzy here). It's a very representative funhouse dungeon, which means it's perfect for conventions or touraments but perhaps a little too whimsical for campaign games.  

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 1:52 am 
 

Similar story here.  When EGG was doing the GameExpo in Toronto (about a decade ago) he ran the final adventure and requested this module.  I'd sold my extra copy but lent them my personal copy to use at the con and had EGG sign it.

Good tourney adventure but not the best meaty campaign advancer.

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Post Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:11 am 
 

Here's your chance to find out why Gary Gygax loved this module more than most:


** expired/removed eBay auction **


Also, did anyone discover the answer to my question?

benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:
Finally, on page 22 of the adventure, does anyone know the properties of the magical paint containers from room 45?  The adventure states that you have to send a SASE to the module writers to find out.   8O


Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

  

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Post Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:20 am 
 

No help with your question - probably the best person to ask would be Frank.

Also, careful with the auction - states "Shrink" in title but clearly not.

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Post Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 2:23 pm 
 

benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:did anyone discover the answer to my question?

Don't recall, sorry.

bitd this was ramrodded, forced thru NIPI with an override on all editorial & development changes by us.
It went out the way the authors wanted, not to my satisfaction.
So it goes.

F


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Post Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:50 pm 
 

ExTSR wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:
benjoshua wrote in The Abduction of Good King Despot for $40 to $101?:did anyone discover the answer to my question?

Don't recall, sorry.

bitd this was ramrodded, forced thru NIPI with an override on all editorial & development changes by us.
It went out the way the authors wanted, not to my satisfaction.
So it goes.

F


Interesting.  So, does that mean there was never any documentation providing the answer to this question?  If not, is the author still alive where he could post at least something about this?  And if the author is AWOL, then might I suggest that you or The Acaeum Community provide a suggested answer?   :?


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Post Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 6:11 am 
 

The designers are listed as:
Will Niebling
Schar Niebling
Russ Stambaugh

And Will Niebling's son worked on it too, William V. Niebling. His son worked for Mayfair games it seems. But I'm not sure his to get in touch with any of them.

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Post Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 7:43 am 
 

This adventure was floating on the web in pdf some time ago.

  
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