Labyrinth Curiosity

I never owned nor played the Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game by Mattel, and I'm not sure how long it would have kept my interest (especially after discovering role-playing), but I often gazed at its photograph in the Sears Wishbook, watched the television commercial, and saw the game itself in stores. A part of me lusted for it, but another part of me was well aware that very often the advertising and the packaging promised something very different from the reality. The colorful picture of the dragon on the box was eye-catching, and although it intrigued me, experience told me that there was little chance that the game was as fascinating as its artwork (which is now the fourth work of art to be displayed on this Web log). It's just a hunch. That dragon sets a formidably high standard.

[See also this retrospective (where I happened to find the photograph).]

Dungeon Artifact

The third work of art to be displayed on this Web log is the cover illustration (by Jim Roslof) of the Dungeon! board game. It isn't the first edition of the game to be published, but it was the first edition I ever played, and it remains my favorite. I remember finding it at a downtown newsstand called Morey's that sold newspapers, magazines, greeting cards, candy, tobacco, pipes, and board games. My parents bought it for me, and although I enjoyed it immensely, it was not long before I was devising house rules and adding new monsters and spells. The more I tinkered with it, the more I realized I really just wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons. I can't quite recall exactly when I first played Dungeon! in the timeline of my gaming experience, but it was certainly one of my earliest experiences with a TSR product. I know it's probably too much to hope for, but in the midst of all the TSR reprints, it would be nice if Wizards of the Coast would produce a commemorative facsimile of this edition of Dungeon! (with the exact same art, of course).

Expert Renaissance

The cover of the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rulebook edited by David "Zeb" Cook with Steve Marsh is now the second work of art to be displayed on this Web log. Once again, the art is by Erol Otus. The version pictured here is a slightly later printing than my own copy, the only difference being the lack of a white circle over which the "2" was superimposed. Together with the Basic Rulebook edited by Tom Moldvay, it was my gateway to the hobby, and I am increasingly of the opinion that it was the best edition of D&D ever published. The PDF is now available, and it is currently ranked #12 in RPGNow's list of "Hottest Items." The Basic Rulebook remains #1. Welcome back to 1981!

[See also Basic Renaissance.]

Basic Renaissance

For the first artwork to be displayed on this Web log (apart from the OSR logo), I have chosen the cover of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rulebook edited by Tom Moldvay. The art, of course, is by Erol Otus. This particular edition of D&D was my introduction to the hobby insofar as it was the first role-playing game I ever played. After all these years, it (along with the Expert Rulebook edited by Dave Cook) is my favorite edition. The PDF is once again available and it is currently the #1 item in RPGNow's list of "Hottest Items." It speaks for itself.