Wandering Monsters!

Wandering Monsters!
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-7-something-has-come-strolling.html

D&D Inspired '70s Rock comp due out next Feb.

D&D Inspired '70s Rock comp due out next Feb. Check out the dungeon map artwork - "The Evil Grounds of Billingsdail" looks like a Holmes-dungeon - there's a "START" on the map, the rooms are lettered with multiple "E's" (Empty), all of the magic items I can make out are from the Holmes lists.
http://www.spin.com/articles/numero-dungeons-dragons-bands-warfaring-strangers-stream/?utm_source=em&utm_medium=weeklynl&utm_campaign=103113&utm_content=article4

Part 6, covering Languages and the first part of 'dungeoneering': time, movement, encumbrance and light sources.

Part 6, covering Languages and the first part of 'dungeoneering': time, movement, encumbrance and light sources.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-6-fully-armored-and-heavily-loaded.html

Part 5, covering non-player characters & alignment.

Part 5, covering non-player characters & alignment.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-5-lawful-neutral-or-chaotic.html

Part 4, covering more sections on character creation.

Part 4, covering more sections on character creation. Some surprises here in the section on "Additional Character Classes"!
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-4-and-half-human-half-serpent-naga.html

Part 3, covering the character classes. The section on Elves has the most significant change so far.

Part 3, covering the character classes. The section on Elves has the most significant change so far.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-3-elves-must-decide.html

D&D Alumni Archive: OD&D Retrospective

Today's 'D&D Alumni Archive' column on Wizards.com is an OD&D retrospective by Shannon Appelcline, who has been writing the product histories for dndclassics.com. He places Holmes Basic as the last of the OD&D products.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (The (Not-So) Secret Origin of D&D)

The first copies of the boxed three-book OD&D set rolled off the presses in January 1974-and the re-release hits the store shelves this week. In today's D&D Alumni, we look back at the "original" edition of Dungeons & Dragons, including its first booklets and supplements.

Zenopus Archives featured in the D&D News section of EnWorld

My first post on the Holmes Manuscript was featured in the D&D news section of EnWorld yesterday.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?1369-LORDS-OF-WATERDEEP-on-iOS-PATHFINDER-Dice-Game&s=f9a4a267861dac3b6b4b1d30d74e063d

Part 2 is up. Nothing terribly exciting in the first sections. It's more remarkable how little was changed.

Part 2 is up. Nothing terribly exciting in the first sections. It's more remarkable how little was changed.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/part-2-fearsome-monsters-fabulous.html

Gary Gygax at work in his TSR office in 1976

Gary Gygax at work at his desk in his TSR office in 1976. From the last issue of the Strategic Review, April 1976, courtesy the 2 Warps to Neptune blog. I can imagine Gygax at this same desk sometime in the following year reviewing Holmes’ manuscript for the Basic Set rulebook.

http://2warpstoneptune.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/tsrs-the-strategic-review-april-1976/

Next post, with an overview of the document & covering the title pages.

Next post, with an overview of the document & covering the title pages.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/dungeons-dragons-for-beginners.html

ZENOPUS ARCHIVES: At long last!

http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/at-long-last.html

Save or Die Episode 82: Aurania series mention

My series on the The Manual of Aurania was mentioned by DM Mike on the most recent Episode of the podcast Save or Die, at about 23:00.

http://saveordie.info/?p=1006

A poster on DF asks "Why B2 over B1?"

A poster on DF asks "Why B2 over B1?"
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=63702

Dwarven Forge KS Dungeon Tiles

My son and I unpacked my new Dwarven Forge Kickstarter Tiles set last night and he had fun setting up a dungeon. I placed the figures: the white wizards are Reaper Bones, the blue party are early 90s TSR. I am impressed at the quality of the tiles: sturdy with lots of detail and they look great even without painting. This past Friday at my regular game night the DM used his set for a combat but I forgot to take pics.

Noble Knight is having their Fall sale & The Maze of Peril is 10% off = $8.96 plus shipping.

Noble Knight is having their Fall sale & The Maze of Peril is 10% off = $8.96 plus shipping. They have 10 copies in stock right now.
http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetail.asp_Q_ProductID_E_2147463148_A_InventoryID_E_2148017431_A_ProductLineID_E_2137426514_A_ManufacturerID_E_2145086152_A_CategoryID_E_16_A_GenreID_E_

D&D article in 1980 issue of Dynamite

Tony Rowe wrote:

Holmes Basic rulebook spotted in the hands of a girl (!) in this article about D&D from a 1980 issue of Dynamite Magazine.

"The new game did not catch on - mainly because no one could understand the rules. But in 1976, a new version of D&D appeared, and it really took off." That publishing date should read 1977, of course.

Originally spotted at: http://www.thiel-a-vision.com/?p=6894

9-page Basic level module written and illustrated by Jeff Dee, formerTSR artist.

9-page Basic level module written and illustrated by Jeff Dee, former TSR artist. This was a Kickstarter bonus, now available as a pdf on RPGNow for $2.95. I haven't bought it (yet), but it looks good from the 3 page preview, which includes the introduction.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/119609/JD1-Cess-Pit-of-the-Bog-Mother

DMG signed by Gygax sold this past week for $4500 on Ebay.

DMG signed by Gygax sold this past week for $4500 on Ebay.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-jim-lamb-dmg.html

Thanks to Michael Thomas I was able to look at a copy of issue #4 (1978) of the Runequest zine, Wyrm's Footnotes.

Thanks to Michael Thomas I was able to look at a copy of issue #4 (1978) of the Runequest zine, Wyrm's Footnotes. On page 4, I found a list of the first fifty people who purchased the game Nomad Gods, and it includes a one "J E Holmes, Los Angeles CA". I just checked and Holmes mentions Wyrm's Footnotes and Nomad Gods in the section on Runequest in his FRPG book.

Field Guide to the Little People

I found this book recently at a library sale. It's an encyclopedia of "little people" with a European focus, the author is German. The blog linked below has more pics from the interior. It was first published in 1977, same year as Holmes Basic and the Monster Manual. And it's still in print, though with different illustrations.

http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Little-People-Not-So-Mythical/dp/0738715492

http://dreamshappythings.blogspot.com/2011/03/field-guide-to-little-people.html

New blog, a few months old, by a gamer who started with Holmes Basic.

New blog, a few months old, by a gamer who started with Holmes Basic. This post includes a pdf of a character sheet for Holmes.
http://smolderingwizard.com/2013/11/02/holmes-basic-dd-and-a-new-character-sheet/

Post compiling pics and links for the upcoming Original D&D reprint.

Post compiling pics and links for the upcoming Original D&D reprint.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/11/od-reprint-previews.html

Cool Teacher, Sad Story:

Cool Teacher, Sad Story:

"Early 1980s. As part of a Gifted Education Program at my grade school. Our teacher used Holmes Basic D&D to teach us teamwork and critical thinking. Sadly, I think she later got fired for that (it was at the zenith of the Satanic Panic era)."
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?706871-When-and-how-did-you-learn-to-play-D-amp-D&p=17315974#post17315974

Some lunchtime pics for y'all

Originally shared by Wayne's Books

Some lunchtime pics for y'all

Ebay auction for a copy of Holmes' FRPG book, signed with a message to Robert Weinberg, editor/author.

Ebay auction for a copy of Holmes' FRPG book, signed with a message to Robert Weinberg, editor/author. It's out of my price range, $100 min bid. No pic of the inscription, but the auction states that it reads:

"To Bob Weinberg from one of his Loyal customers, with all best Wishes, John Eric Holmes".

Here's the Wiki page for Robert Weinberg:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Weinberg_%28author%29

Looks like in the 70s he edited several horror compilations, published a zine called Pulp about pulp magazines, and wrote a book about Weird Tales magazine in 1977.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131032166571

Random Wizard: B2 Overland Map Zoom and Flyby

Original Link:
http://randomwizard.blogspot.ca/2013/10/b2-overland-map-zoom-and-flyby.html

Zenopus Note: There doesn't appear to be a corresponding post at the new blog at kirith.com, or a backup on the Internet Archive.