LOL...I knew I had them just forgot about them. In fact it was the lunch I had with PilotMan the other day where it was brought up and I wanted to see what I still had.

Looks like some are missing...but I have

D & D Red Books (GM & Players Manual)
Warhammer FRP
Twilight 2000 2.2 and Merc 2000 2.2
Wheel of Time
Dark Conspiracy
MERP
Paranoia
Earthdawn (Boxed Set)

and my crown jewel, the entire boxed set of Top Secret/SI in mint condition...

Ahhh, to reminisce and it makes me want to run a campaign now.....

Actually, I am thinking about selling / giving them away...

anyone else have that little hidden stash of books waiting for the day you are going to play again?

I have six milk crates full of AD&D stuff

I have six milk crates full of AD&D stuff

Sounds like one of my best friends...now that we all moved across the country he doesn't really pull them out...it's why I am thinking of running a forum / PBEM campaign of one of my games.

You guys should use this info to pick up chicks.

You guys should use this info to pick up chicks.

Nah, you only whip this stuff out after the I Do's

I have the AD&D 2nd Edition stuff floating around somewhere.

I've got the D&D Red, Blue, Green, Black, and Gold books somewhere... a bunch of MERP... but my wife has nearly the complete run of anything printed for Changeling: The Dreaming.

I started up a game of AD&D 1e about 3 years ago and we've been playing regularly. My daughter has been playing also and is hooked. dragonsfoot.org made me realize how many gamers are still out and how the web has made an infinite (no exaggeration) amount of materials available.

I loved the AD&D 2nd edition games I used to run and be in.

But V:tM LARP... now -that- was where it was at. (Okay it's MET, but same concept).

I'd be interested in the crown jewel :) I had to torrent Top Secret to get my game up and running. I remember Orient Express module...good times.

I am sure I have one or two somewhere, but my big pack rat thing is Football stuff.

I have playbooks from nearly every year I have coached, game plans from dozens and dozens of games and notes from every clinic I have every attended. That doesn't even count videos, books and magazines. I am not even allowed to keep it all in the house anymore so takes up a good potion of the crawl space above the house.

Would love to stumble across one of those old D&D books sometime though.

If you ever do start a PBEM game I would be interested.

I loved the AD&D 2nd edition games I used to run and be in.

But V:tM LARP... now -that- was where it was at. (Okay it's MET, but same concept).

I did the V:tM LARP in Utah, we started one up in the Provo/Orem area and actually went up to the SLC Group a few times...we were the anarchists of the region...it was pretty fun.

I still have a pretty big stash. I sold a lot of hte older stuff that I didn't care so much about on Amazon. You can also do some trading through rpg.net or maybe even boardgamegeek.com and get some different games you might be more interested in now.

I've started playing with a couple groups in the last year or so and tried out quite a few new games, and some old ones. We're playing Polaris right now, and I'll be running a variant of Spirit of the Century soon, as well as playing in a Serenity campaign. It's actually a great time to be into Rpgs with the Net, as mentioned above.

Not all RPG, but the bulk of my RPG stuff. I have other stuff scattered about in pockets.

I've got the D&D Red, Blue, Green, Black, and Gold books

Yeah, I've got them all too. The AD&D books, Top Secret, Twilight 2000, Call of Cthulhu, and a bunch more plus some board games. Is there any value in selling these on ebay or amazon?

RPGs have taken a real nose dive in the last 10-15 years in terms of financial value. For example, for the year 2008, here are how much the various genres made:

Collectible Card Games - 750 million
Collectible Miniature Games - 165 million
Role-Playing Games - 18 million

It's not a lot when you consider the price of the books for RPGs.

For example, the original Fiend Folio used to go for tons of money second hand, because it was so rare, and you could get 40-60 bucks for it. Today, I can Buy It Now on an ebay auction for 10 bucks, and a few in stores for Buy It Now less than that (the cheapest is an international one at five bucks but tons of shipping + handling as a result)

Let me look at some old sales for lots of AD&D books:


Here's 6 books, went for $34, includes the valuable Fiend Folio. AD&D Hardcover Book Lot 6 Books Manuals Guides TSR D&D - eBay (item 230445359485 end time Mar-14-10 20:45:37 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-Hardcover-Book-Lot-6-Books-Manuals-Guides-TSR-D-D_W0QQitemZ230445359485QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a79d217d)

A bunch of D&D stuff, $10.50 Huge Lot AD&D Dungeon & Dragons Game Books TSR Nice! - eBay (item 220568145887 end time Mar-14-10 16:39:22 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Huge-Lot-AD-D-Dungeon-Dragons-Game-Books-TSR-Nice_W0QQitemZ220568145887QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item335ae2cfdf)

Here's a lot with a ton of stuff, $156.15. A bit more promising. MEGA lot of D&D and AD&D books games + more - eBay (item 120538357576 end time Mar-12-10 16:59:41 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/MEGA-lot-of-D-D-and-AD-D-books-games-more_W0QQitemZ120538357576QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10a55f48)

11 books, $21.23 AD&D lot of 11 books - eBay (item 120538350496 end time Mar-12-10 16:36:43 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-lot-of-11-books_W0QQitemZ120538350496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10a543a0)

65 module sand books went for just $182.50. AD&D D&D Dungeons Dragons HUGE LOT 65+ MODULES & BOOKS - eBay (item 190376756290 end time Mar-07-10 19:00:36 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-D-D-Dungeons-Dragons-HUGE-LOT-65-MODULES-BOOKS_W0QQitemZ190376756290QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c5356c442)




There are also numerous examples of higher priced buy it nows not getting sold. Here is an example of $70 pricetag for 18 book and no one even bit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-18-DUNGEONS-DRAGONS-AD-D-HANDBOOKS-MANUALS-ETC_W0QQitemZ280471592883QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414d68dfb3

I have a good collection of a wide assortment of books.

I also have my friends collection. He moved to New York and didn't have the space for everything. He has an insane amount of RPG books. I have no idea how many boxes, but it dominates one entire corner of my basement.

I think if you want to sell a lot, you have to accept that unless you have something that is rarer and desired (and I don;t know anymore what those would be), then you probably make get between 2-4 bucks a book. That's not a lot when some of these book went for 20+ each. There was a time when, if you wanted to sell out, there were so many players that they would buy your stuff for a good 10-15 price, and some things would increase in value like the Fiend Folio, but that time is long since past. What modern day AD&D player would need the things in yours or mine sets from two or three AD&D editions ago, when they have had a chance for two decades to pick them up?

I am into boardgaming, but have never tried RPG's. I think that goes a little too far for what I am looking for.

I definitely made well more than $2-4 per book selling things on Amazon. I wouldnl't touch eBay in this case, frankly. Over the last year and a half I sold a lot of old D&D and Paranoia stuff. These were not "collector's items", they were books that had been used but kept in good condition. I'm still selling some classic D&D modules at 8-15 at a pop. I sold most of my books at 10-15 each, some more than that. I've actually made some good money on those old materials.

I am into boardgaming, but have never tried RPG's. I think that goes a little too far for what I am looking for.

There's a lot of variety in the RPG world, so I wouldn't be so sure. There are also a lot of places where boardgames and RPG blur, so you might enjoy some of those games. What you think of as RPGs (most likely classic D&D) bears so little resemblance to other games out there these days. Some have a lot of the elements that draw people into board games, others emphasize storytelling, either directing a character or even just collaborative tale telling where the players compete for control of the narrative but don't pick a character.

Not all RPG, but the bulk of my RPG stuff. I have other stuff scattered about in pockets.

What has it got in its nassty little pocketses? Some cool stuff, actually.

The vast majority of newer RPG stuff, you can't even give away. I won't touch 90% of the d20 crap.

Most AD&D common stuff goes for around $7-$10 a pop depending on condition. Uncommon stuff you can get around $15 and then it goes up from there. Usually you can factor in 2 1/2x the price for shrink wrapped stuff. The rare stuff (like the orange cover Palace of the Silver Princess and the Mono stuff) you can still command a good dollar, but the collectibles market as a whole is deflated dramatically in the last few years (not just RPG collectibles)

AD&D 2nd edition stuff, as a whole, isn't that great. There are a few pieces here and there that are ok, but as a whole I tend to stay away from that stuff as well as the 4th edition stuff. AD&D 3 and 3.5 version items are about 50% of book value except for the 3.5 Core stuff.

MERP as a whole is pretty solid although even that is around 40% deflated from around 3 years ago.

Here's 6 books, went for $34, includes the valuable Fiend Folio. AD&D Hardcover Book Lot 6 Books Manuals Guides TSR D&D - eBay (item 230445359485 end time Mar-14-10 20:45:37 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-Hardcover-Book-Lot-6-Books-Manuals-Guides-TSR-D-D_W0QQitemZ230445359485QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a79d217d)

A bunch of D&D stuff, $10.50 Huge Lot AD&D Dungeon & Dragons Game Books TSR Nice! - eBay (item 220568145887 end time Mar-14-10 16:39:22 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Huge-Lot-AD-D-Dungeon-Dragons-Game-Books-TSR-Nice_W0QQitemZ220568145887QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item335ae2cfdf)

Here's a lot with a ton of stuff, $156.15. A bit more promising. MEGA lot of D&D and AD&D books games + more - eBay (item 120538357576 end time Mar-12-10 16:59:41 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/MEGA-lot-of-D-D-and-AD-D-books-games-more_W0QQitemZ120538357576QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10a55f48)

11 books, $21.23 AD&D lot of 11 books - eBay (item 120538350496 end time Mar-12-10 16:36:43 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-lot-of-11-books_W0QQitemZ120538350496QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10a543a0)

65 module sand books went for just $182.50. AD&D D&D Dungeons Dragons HUGE LOT 65+ MODULES & BOOKS - eBay (item 190376756290 end time Mar-07-10 19:00:36 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/AD-D-D-D-Dungeons-Dragons-HUGE-LOT-65-MODULES-BOOKS_W0QQitemZ190376756290QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c5356c442)




There are also numerous examples of higher priced buy it nows not getting sold. Here is an example of $70 pricetag for 18 book and no one even bit.

LOT OF 18 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AD&D HANDBOOKS MANUALS ETC - eBay (item 280471592883 end time Mar-06-10 20:02:58 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-18-DUNGEONS-DRAGONS-AD-D-HANDBOOKS-MANUALS-ETC_W0QQitemZ280471592883QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414d68dfb3)

Since I was watching most of these items.

1st auction, normal price.

2nd auction, random junk. Hollow World... meh.

3rd auction. I was going to bid on that, but after further inspection many of the boxes are beat up, the maps are mixed up, some stuff looks wavy and it screams 'stuff missing'. Planescape is in there which I think I sold a copy for $60-70 several weeks ago. Someone could have gotten a decent deal if everything is complete

4th auction. 2nd edition stuff.. only around $3 a book

5th auction. About average price that I would expect. They seeded the auction with a bunch of junk (magazines)

Selling your stuff in lots is easiest on the buyer since you only have to do one shipment, but you won't realize the full value although, you'll need patience to do that so, most people just want what they want and are happy with it.

Given my above comments... I don't think it is that hard to connect the dots on what my side business is. :)

What has it got in its nassty little pocketses? Some cool stuff, actually.

I have more Battletech stuff upstairs, my Morrow Project books are upstairs also. I know I have box sets mixed up with my board game collection which is primarily packed up right now save for around 60-70 in the basement.

Man I have fond memories of Top Secret, Was my first RPG, and we actually played it in study hall when I was in 6th or 7th grade. Our teacher actually brought it in. Good times.

I haven't played anything since High School, but recently I've got this sick obsession with reading through rulebooks for systems. Standard D&D fare doesn't interest me, but I'm really impressed with the "indie" game scene and some of the evolution there to more cooperative storytelling and handling of social conflicts. Some neat ideas.

I've really enjoyed reading up on Dogs in the Vineyard, Primetime Adventures, and even Mouse Guard(beautiful book), among others. Id mistakenly assumed everything was still D&D and White Wolf. I really wanted to get the PDF for this Dust Devils game, but looks like it is not sold anywhere now. I'm a sucker for Westerns.

Doubt I will ever play these games, that time has passed and the couple people I know who still play are either aggravating or play nothing but Rifts. I hate Rifts. Now I find myself more curious about the design ideas. Anyone else read but don't play?

Doubt I will ever play these games, that time has passed and the couple people I know who still play are either aggravating or play nothing but Rifts. I hate Rifts. Now I find myself more curious about the design ideas. Anyone else read but don't play?

I do buy games just to read that I know I will never play (e.g., "Burning Empires"), but I also still play. I do enjoy reading about game designs and different concepts.

I have read through and played a couple of the more "indie" type games that play into the whole cooperative storytelling idea. "Witch Mountain", I believe is one of those types of games. To be honest, I really don't care for them. I understand what they are trying to accomplish and I appreciate it and I could see where it would help certain groups or players get more invovled in the role-playing/storytelling aspect of things, while taking a step back from a hack-n-slash/stats/numbers game, but the group I play (and have been for the last 15-20 years or so) are all pretty advanced role players. The system stuff doesn't really help. It just gets in the way and feels very forced.

To be fair though, the two or three times we have tried one those types of games, our weakest GM in the group was running it. Perhaps in more skilled hands it could be better.

Also, as much as I enjoy reading about new systems, the system is the last thing I really think about when playing a RPG. I know there are a ton of shortcomings to the d20 system, but I think it's fine. It's adapatable, I understand it, it makes sense and doesn't get in the way. I have found that some systems try to be so clever that they end up creating more trouble than it's worth.

Doubt I will ever play these games, that time has passed and the couple people I know who still play are either aggravating or play nothing but Rifts. I hate Rifts. Now I find myself more curious about the design ideas. Anyone else read but don't play?

I've read a lot but haven't played in a long time. The Mythic Game Master Emulator (http://www.mythic.wordpr.com/page14/page9/page9.html) seems like a great way to RPG on my own terms.

I do buy games just to read that I know I will never play (e.g., "Burning Empires"), but I also still play. I do enjoy reading about game designs and different concepts.

I have read through and played a couple of the more "indie" type games that play into the whole cooperative storytelling idea. "Witch Mountain", I believe is one of those types of games. To be honest, I really don't care for them. I understand what they are trying to accomplish and I appreciate it and I could see where it would help certain groups or players get more invovled in the role-playing/storytelling aspect of things, while taking a step back from a hack-n-slash/stats/numbers game, but the group I play (and have been for the last 15-20 years or so) are all pretty advanced role players. The system stuff doesn't really help. It just gets in the way and feels very forced.

To be fair though, the two or three times we have tried one those types of games, our weakest GM in the group was running it. Perhaps in more skilled hands it could be better.

Also, as much as I enjoy reading about new systems, the system is the last thing I really think about when playing a RPG. I know there are a ton of shortcomings to the d20 system, but I think it's fine. It's adapatable, I understand it, it makes sense and doesn't get in the way. I have found that some systems try to be so clever that they end up creating more trouble than it's worth.

Yeah I agree some are over the top. I looked at Burning Wheel which seems like an Indie darling, and I love some ideas but man it is pretty rules heavy. Mouse Guard is a much more simplified and streamlined version, but I think it is almost too rigidly structured.

I haven't played D20 as my last system was 2nd edition, but the thing that I'm seeing that didn't work well in that version is social conflicts. There was extremely minimal detail to non physical combat. I know people complain that the social is about roleplaying and shouldn't have mechanics, but that's a terrible argument imo. I should be able to play someone who is much more charming and a smooth talker than me, just like I can play someone who is a master swordsman when I'm obviously not. It is an argument I see a lot though. Does D20 address this more than past versions?

That's why I really liked the Dogs in the Vineyard system when I read up on it, apart from having a really interesting setting, it has a nice conflict and escalation system, which really builds some suspense and makes for a more narrative focus rather than a miniatures wargame.

Then again like I said, I'm reading not playing so what I find interesting is all theoretical. I can't imagine playing these games with the groups I was in, it just wouldn't work. It does allow some non-geeks to be interested though, as I even have the wife excited to try Primetime Adventures, and that's one I'm sure I can talk people into. Everyone is familiar with TV and has had ideas at some point concerning it.

I'm looking at these games almost as solo creative writing projects, so that Mythic GM Emulator looks neat. I might try that out.

Even though I have not played an RPG in years, there are still game days where someone will bring up Paranoia. Probably my single most cherished gaming moment was playing MERP when I killed one of the other party memebers and threw the GM for a loop (was even better when I was able to justify it to the GM).

There are plenty of gamers out there. I just got done helping to run games at MidSouthCon and we had about 400 gamers come through over the weekend.

I really want to try to work in a Gen Con trip this year. I haven't been to it since it moved out of Milwaukee.

I really want to try to work in a Gen Con trip this year. I haven't been to it since it moved out of Milwaukee.

Indy isn't a bad spot for it. Downtown Indy is essentially like one giant outdoor mall. Lots of chain restaurants and stores and stuff. There are a few decent places and there is a lot more space for everything and the space is much cleaner.

That said, I miss Milwaukee. It was more unique and had some great charm to it.

Indy isn't a bad spot for it. Downtown Indy is essentially like one giant outdoor mall. Lots of chain restaurants and stores and stuff. There are a few decent places and there is a lot more space for everything and the space is much cleaner.


Thought it would be decent in Indy. I avoid it the first year because I didn't know how smoothly everything would go of course, after that I got married so, haven't found the time to go down there since. It is still a relatively close drive (6 hrs, 300 miles). I might go this year and write it off as a business expense.

If anyone wants to have an excuse to come to Beale St., we're having Game Con Memphis from Oct 1st - 3rd this year. LARP, RPG, boardgaming, and miniatures will all be represented and played. We will also have a Settlers of Catan and Dominion tournament as well as a Boardgame Design Contest (tentatively), and a Federation Commander war between the Federation and Klingons.

I switched to Savage Worlds (for Deadlands and Fantasy) and really enjoy the streamlined combat. Made roleplay more fun too. Reign and Spirit of the Century are on my to do list. CoC too.

The 2nd Edition Player's Option was the best by far in imho. I took everything, put it into one classless pool, added points for THAC0 charts, Hit dice, save charts, etc that are classed based, and then added stuff from the various handbooks that were kit or class specific and made them options, and then you could build whatever character you wanted with the points. It was awesome. Even generic PO was awesome.

I've had some fun dipping into some of the indie games wiht a few interested people. We've done Burning Wheel, Thou Art But A Warrior, My Life With Master, In a Wicked Age. Before I got involved they tried Primetime Adventures and a few more of these.

I think what really helps is to have someone who's played at a con or something. These are hard games to just pick up off the shelf and introduce to a group where nobody's tried it. A lot of your D&D style instincts can get in the way, or it can just be hard to figure out where the meat of the system is. I find them really fun though. We play D&D too, but this is a different style of fun.

But yes, I really like just reading the systems too even if I don't think I can play them. Some of them are a lot of fun to read.

Yeah I definitely buy books and download books just to read through the system.

I do think Catalyst has done well with the new version of Twilight and Shadowrun.

I'm a rules whore so, I'm drawn into RPGs with lots of charts and characters that take 3 hours to create. I think Rolemaster was made specifically for me.

I like Rolemaster, I have many of the books

I got interested in Rolemaster through MERP and particularly liked the combat system; but never actually ran or played a game. The people I played with weren't nearly hardcode enough for something with that many numbers. :)

Holy crap, Heroquest stuff did climb significantly in value. Jeez. Expansions in the hundreds of dollars and the base game in the 80-100 range for a Milton Bradley game.

I bid on a copy of Heroquest from a local seller, but my max bid of $40 bot beat by a dollar. Copies can actually be found for that amount 40-60 if buying a used copy that isn't in great condition.

I wonder if we could play Forum HeroQuest. II need to go reread the rules.

I still have all of my old RPG stuff. Haven't touched some of it in years, but I'll still flip through it on occasion. It fills a chest-of-draws and then some. Don't know if I'll ever have the guts to try to sell it all...too many fond memories.

My collection includes the following (I know I'm forgetting some things too):

D&D Box Sets (the "red box" was my first exposure to RPGs)
AD&D 2nd and 3rd edition (a couple of 1st edition books too)
Top Secret/S.I.
Twilight 2000
Middle Earth Role Playing
Earthdawn
Marvel Super Heroes
Champions
Traveler 2000
Star Frontiers
Battletech/MechWarrior
Rifts (love the setting, hate the rules)
Star Wars (the old West End D6 version, not that D20 crap)
Call of Cthulhu
Vampire: The Masquerade
Dark Conspiracy
RuneQuest
Robotech
Car Wars (not really an RPG, but close enough)
Cyberpunk

Yeah, I was a D&D nerd. :D

Holy crap, Heroquest stuff did climb significantly in value. Jeez. Expansions in the hundreds of dollars and the base game in the 80-100 range for a Milton Bradley game.

Yep.

Elfquest is around $275, Barbarian around $150-$200. Kellar's Keep is the cheapest at around $35.

Not all RPG, but the bulk of my RPG stuff. I have other stuff scattered about in pockets.

Gamma World!!!!

I loved that game!!! Played it for two years in 5th-6th grade with some creepy teens, but it was so fun. I'm jealous.

As an added irony, my next Werewolf game is based on Masque of the Red Death, a Ravenloft sub-world from the 2nd Edition of AD&D

If you hurry you can still get to GaryCon http://www.garycon.com/

I have tons of the old stuff but our group has recently moved over to the Savage Worlds System. This is a super easy system to learn and very easy to run. If you are not familiar with Savage check it out at Welcome to Pinnacle's Weird Website! (www.peginc.com) .

I used to DM my friends when we were kids, and for some reason, one of them kept the module I hurt them the most in; but was so fun it is still talked about. About 5 years ago, he sent it to me on my birthday - framed. Tomb of Horrors, First Edition, with nacho stains still visible.

Tomb of Horrors was nasty. They made a revamp of it years later as a boxed set, but it was classic. Only one module in the AD&D 2nd Edition Days was as deadly, and that was Labyrinth of Madness. That was crazy hard too.

Did someone say Tomb of Horrors?

Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Module S1 "Tomb of Horrors" (http://www.somethingawful.com/d/dungeons-and-dragons/wtf-tomb-horrors.php)

Nice find Autumn!

Thanks ;-) I was reading that the other week. They've got some funny other ones as well.

I always imagined how much fun Tomb of Horrors would be with a good gaming group. I did try to run a party through it but had no luck as they all climbed into that mouth thing straight off. That ended that gaming session right there.

There's a lot of variety in the RPG world, so I wouldn't be so sure. There are also a lot of places where boardgames and RPG blur, so you might enjoy some of those games. What you think of as RPGs (most likely classic D&D) bears so little resemblance to other games out there these days. Some have a lot of the elements that draw people into board games, others emphasize storytelling, either directing a character or even just collaborative tale telling where the players compete for control of the narrative but don't pick a character.

A primary issue is getting people to play with. With board gaming, I play with my wife, DV, and occasionally with some others, but even that can be tough to play as often as I like. With RPG's, you need a bigger group and I don't have the people to play those.

I also enjoy the social, strategic and competitive aspect of board games. I am not entirely clear on how RPG's work, but am not sure they would fulfill those aspects the way I would want them too. Again though, I've never tried it and do not know a ton about it, so I could be wrong.

Nah, you only whip this stuff out after the I Do's

That could be considered a dealbreaker by some judges.

A primary issue is getting people to play with. With board gaming, I play with my wife, DV, and occasionally with some others, but even that can be tough to play as often as I like. With RPG's, you need a bigger group and I don't have the people to play those.

I also enjoy the social, strategic and competitive aspect of board games. I am not entirely clear on how RPG's work, but am not sure they would fulfill those aspects the way I would want them too. Again though, I've never tried it and do not know a ton about it, so I could be wrong.

Well, just to continue playing devil's advocate...some games work well, or better, with small groups. The group I'm playing indie games with is only three of us and that works fine for a lot of games. We do have more in the other group we play more standard stuff, but sometimes that can even be too much. There are some games, like Burning Wheel, which work great with two players even.

On your other point, I think RPGs can scratch the competitive, social and strategic itches but in different ways than board games. I love board games also (I've been playing Tigris and Euphrates online with one of my gaming friends a lot recently). However, depending on the particular game, a lot games require a lot of strategic thinking. Most involve competition, though generally against the GM-led opponents, not all the players. Even this is not universal though. Some of the story games include a component of contesting for control of the narrative among the players. Or games like Capes where you try to generate conflict among the characters in order to provide you more narrative control.

We just played a tiny game called Final Stand which is basically meant to replicate classic kung fu movies. There was a lot of strategy involved in how to spend your dice on attacks or defense, when to use special moves. It was definitely boardgame-esque, but produced a pretty hilarious story as well. Roleplaying is definitely social. i often come back from the game session with a headache from laughing so hard.

A primary issue is getting people to play with. With board gaming, I play with my wife, DV, and occasionally with some others, but even that can be tough to play as often as I like. With RPG's, you need a bigger group and I don't have the people to play those.


If you have ever played games like Heroquest, Tomb or Descent, you are essentially getting the really basic mechanics in fantasy RPG games minus the roleplaying elements.

Wish my wife would play the same boardgames I played, but there is absolutely zero chance of that happening.. not even Stratego. I tried to show her how to play Heroquest once, but couldn't get past the basics of line of sight (what you see).

There are more people out there that play the RPGs than play the boardgames. That said, there are far more boardgamers I enjoy socializing with than RPGers.

I rerread the Giants trilogy of dungeon modules the other day for fun. I have the ones with one color covers. Fun stuff!

I must really want to play D&D (or I lead a sad said life). I've resorted to listening to podcasts of people playing D&D.

I must really want to play D&D (or I lead a sad said life). I've resorted to listening to podcasts of people playing D&D.

There are podcasts of people playing D&D? Weird.

Back in the day, when I played a lot of D&D and other RPGs, we used to have people want to come and watch us play. Girlfriends, other friends or what not. I hated it. It's sort of weird having someone just sitting there watching.

Speaking of D&D, I played some over the weekend. Things didn't go very well for our group. We were tasked to protect some mega-wizard's 11 year old daughter and she just got kidnapped by a group of ridiculously powerful assholes. Not good. Sets things up quite nicely for the next session at GenCon.

I also played a pretty good boardgame over the weekend called "Dungeon Lords." It's essentially a boargame of the old "Dunegon Keeper" PC game. Each player has his own dungeon. You build it up by adding more tunnels, rooms, traps, monsters, etc. You have imps that do work for you. And then at the end of 4 turns, a random group of adventurers come in and try to destroy your dungeon. You have to stop them as quickly as possible with your traps and monsters.

It's a fun game. I like it, because it's two games in one. The first part is sort of a resource management type game. You have to decide what resources you want and how to use your imps to best improve your dungeon. The second part, when the adventurers come, is sort of almost like a math puzzle. You have to figure out the best tactics to use to kill the adventurers as quickly as possible, because each turn they live, they take out one tile of your dungeon.

We also played "Pandemic." It's a great game. Very quick. I like it because it's cooperative. All the players act as a team working to wipe out various plagues that are spreading across the world. Each player has a different role and each role has a different power. The game is very hard. I've played it about 5 times and have never won.

There are podcasts of people playing D&D? Weird.


Podcasts from Major Spoilers. Actually its a RPG/4th Edition tutorial thing. No worse than a audio book or other podcast so.. eh.

I'm not a big fan of people watching either (board games, rpgs, card games, etc). Grab a chair, sit down and play.

Podcasts from Major Spoilers. Actually its a RPG/4th Edition tutorial thing. No worse than a audio book or other podcast so.. eh.

Gotcha. I could see where that could be worthwhile. I'm much better at listening to people explain things or watching a demo of something than I am actually figuring out the rules to something by reading the instructions. My reading comprehension stinks sometimes.

That said, back in the day, ("the day" being around 1984-89) there was no one who knew the Battletech rules better than I did. I could rattle off just about anything and calculate any "to hit" or "piloting roll" modifier and if there was ever an argument, it ended the moment I reached for the rule book. The people knew.

Yeah, I was pretty cool. :cool:

There is a lot of podcasts of various games. It's a great way to learn a new game, especially some of the indie games, which you haven't actually played yet. But I agree, it would be kind of weird to record it.

I also played a pretty good boardgame over the weekend called "Dungeon Lords." It's essentially a boargame of the old "Dunegon Keeper" PC game. Each player has his own dungeon. You build it up by adding more tunnels, rooms, traps, monsters, etc. You have imps that do work for you. And then at the end of 4 turns, a random group of adventurers come in and try to destroy your dungeon. You have to stop them as quickly as possible with your traps and monsters.

You're a bad bad man - I read this and instantly ordered it on Amazon .... :D

You're a bad bad man - I read this and instantly ordered it on Amazon .... :D


Well, given that I've bought probably six or seven different versions of Champ Man/Football Manager over the last 10 years, I think I still owe you a few. :)

Let me know what you think of it. I thought it was a lot of fun and ordered a copy myself off Amazon a day or two ago.

Table Top Roleplaying is not a spectator sport. Grab and chair, pencil, paper, die, and step up and play.

I also played a pretty good boardgame over the weekend called "Dungeon Lords." It's essentially a boargame of the old "Dunegon Keeper" PC game. Each player has his own dungeon. You build it up by adding more tunnels, rooms, traps, monsters, etc. You have imps that do work for you. And then at the end of 4 turns, a random group of adventurers come in and try to destroy your dungeon. You have to stop them as quickly as possible with your traps and monsters.

It's a fun game. I like it, because it's two games in one. The first part is sort of a resource management type game. You have to decide what resources you want and how to use your imps to best improve your dungeon. The second part, when the adventurers come, is sort of almost like a math puzzle. You have to figure out the best tactics to use to kill the adventurers as quickly as possible, because each turn they live, they take out one tile of your dungeon.


Sounds great. I'll bet it's a great break from a D&D game that's gotten weary.

I thought of this thread. I've played my first D & D session in many many years. I haven't played since a session or two of 2.0. I played 1.0/1.5 for years though along with a lot of ICE's gameset in Middle Earth.

My Nephews wanted to play, and I found the books too expensive. I mentioned this in passing to a friend, and he announced that he had essentially all of the books, and that he would run a campaign.

I really like the 4.0 format. Very cool stuff.

Oh most importantly...we survived about half a dozen encounters. Well OK I died once, when I, a Minotaur, charged an 8th level Ogre. I had no idea that Ogres were 8th level, and this was a level 1 encounter in any case. It went down something like this.
DM "That was a bad Idea. I rolled a 10 and I hit you."
ME " I'm AC 19"
DM "He's plus eleven to hit."
ME "oh".
DM "You're only going to take 19 damage this round, I rolled poorly"

On Sunday night we took a break from our usual D and D game to play the Order of the Stick board game. Although the box boasts that there are quick start rules, the details pop up quickly and result in a steep learning curve. 5 of us played for 3 and a half hours straight. At that point only one character had descended to the lowest level (4) and was soundly defeated by Xykon. We called it a night and concluded that the party needs to stick together to defeat him considering how much support he has. Overall, the game is fun, but it's best for saving until you're burnt out on your normal RPG and need a break.

On Sunday night we took a break from our usual D and D game to play the Order of the Stick board game. Although the box boasts that there are quick start rules, the details pop up quickly and result in a steep learning curve. 5 of us played for 3 and a half hours straight. At that point only one character had descended to the lowest level (4) and was soundly defeated by Xykon. We called it a night and concluded that the party needs to stick together to defeat him considering how much support he has. Overall, the game is fun, but it's best for saving until you're burnt out on your normal RPG and need a break.

Just have Elan go down and touch the sigil... :lol:

Alright...Wizards is releasing the Red Box Set again...Does anyone know if this is the old school rules or has it been switched up...I have the original red box set minus the box, but this really, really appeals to me.

Alright...Wizards is releasing the Red Box Set again...Does anyone know if this is the old school rules or has it been switched up...I have the original red box set minus the box, but this really, really appeals to me.

Unfortunately, it is a smaller set of the 4th edition rules.

Unfortunately, it is a smaller set of the 4th edition rules.

Bleh...never mind then...LOL

Alright...Wizards is releasing the Red Box Set again...Does anyone know if this is the old school rules or has it been switched up...I have the original red box set minus the box, but this really, really appeals to me.

It sucks - I picked it up hoping it'd be more 'old school' than the new ruleset ... but not only is it the new rules but its a travesty of complication compared to the old ruleset imho ...

(do bear in mind this is just my personal 'take' on it and it might just be that I'm getting old and crotchety)

(do bear in mind this is just my personal 'take' on it and it might just be that I'm getting old and crotchety)

Not just you. I think many people are still attached to 3.0/3.5 stuff. I haven't even made an attempt to try to carry 4th edition stuff.

Not just you. I think many people are still attached to 3.0/3.5 stuff. I haven't even made an attempt to try to carry 4th edition stuff.

My group still plays with the 3.0/3.5 stuff. Granted, we don't play often and our on-going "campaign" started pre-4th edition, but, even if we were to start something new, I don't think we'd switch to 4th edition. I've skimmed the rules a few times and didn't like them at all.

It's quite obvious that the rules are geared towards making D&D play more like Wolrd of Warcraft.

After trying Savage Worlds (After leaving DnD), we moved to Dragon Age by Green Ronin. Only played a couple sessions, but it's decent so far.

I kind of like the Dragon Age world, at least based on my experience with the PC game.

I also have the "Song of Ice & Fire" RPG books by Green Ronin, but have never tried them.

If anyone has 'Other Suns' by FGU floating around and wants to part with it, drop me a PM.

I kind of like the Dragon Age world, at least based on my experience with the PC game.

I also have the "Song of Ice & Fire" RPG books by Green Ronin, but have never tried them.

How did I miss this? Awesome! Have you looked at them since this post?

My 10 year old is showing interest in role playing and table top gaming so I am looking at different worlds to introduce him too.

Some of you guys looking for an old school D & D fix might want to take a look at Hackmaster. One of the guys in my local boardgame group is a playtester for them and watching them play it has me itching to get back in. They've also released some of the old modules such as B2, only expanded (from what I understand, B2 was split into the Keep and the Caves as two separate modules).

How did I miss this? Awesome! Have you looked at them since this post?

My 10 year old is showing interest in role playing and table top gaming so I am looking at different worlds to introduce him too.

I never bought or looked at any of the "Dragon Age" stuff, but I did flip through the "Game of Thrones" books. I thought it looked decent enough and had some interesting mechanics.

Since I've been playing RPGs for 30 years now, it's hard for me to really say whether any particular system or world would be better for a 10 year old than another.

I know both worlds put themselves out there as being a little more "mature", but, at least with the "Game of Thrones" stuff, there's really nothing I recall that wouldn't be fit for the eyes of a 10 year old. And with the right GM, almost any game can be age appropriate.

The one thing to note about the "Game of Thrones" world is that it is very low magic and fantasy. There is very little in the way of magic items or monsters.

Thinking back to when I was 10, I was more into having my characters get cool powerful magic items and fighting dangerous monsters, than I was about role-playing, intrigue, etc. Based on that, the "Dragon Age" game may be a better fit. A little more traditional in that sense, where as in a "Game of Thrones", you're pretty much always just fighting other people.

Dragon Age is great, old school feel with a rules light system. Played 14 sessions with it so far and it's working for my group.

Yet another disaster relief bundle from DriveThruRPG:

New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Relief - RPG Bundle [BUNDLE] - OneBookShelf, Inc. | DriveThruRPG.com (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=88713&it=1&SRC=Newsletter&)

Highlights:

SCION (HERO): Interesting game from White Wolf, featuring Scions, the offspring of Gods and Goddesses..

Cthulutech: A weird mashup featuring eldritch horrors and mecha, sometimes fused into one. Mankind under attack from the servants of the old ones, and their only hope is taking the eldritch technology of the elders and using it against them...

SUPERNATURAL: Based on the TV show, take back the night from the monsters.

TALES FROM THE FLOATING VAGABOND: If you ever thought to play a Callahan's Cross-Time Saloon RPG, this is probably the best.. ultra-rare, and out of print for the best part of two decades.. fun stuff though

I'm itching to play some Shadowrun again...

What is everyone's take on 4th Ed vs 3rd Ed rules for this?

They have both sets up on DriveThruRPG....

Huge Savage Worlds fan here. Our group still plays some old school D&D, along with D20 Star Wars and a game called Corporation. As for Hackmaster I sat down and played at Gencon and I have to say it was way too boring and slow, which is why I like Savage Worlds so much.

Get the 20th Anniversary 4th edition set of Shadowrun MacroGuru..

Hell, if there's enough interest, I'll run a Play By Post game of shadowrun.

All I ever got into was champions. I have a 4th edition hero system rule book. and that is it.

Get the 20th Anniversary 4th edition set of Shadowrun MacroGuru..

Hell, if there's enough interest, I'll run a Play By Post game of shadowrun.\

I grabbed it....along with every other 4th ed sourcebook I could get my hands on.

good stuff. The only sourcebook I'd advise to avoid is War!.. That book has basically become an un-book (there's som really overpowered stuff in there, combined with some bad editing, etcetera)

Anyone cracked open a box recently and found this?

hxxp://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-LOT-500-TSR-DUNGEONS-DRAGONS-BOOKS-SETS-GURPS-GYGAX-RPG-VINTAGE-/260861718798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbc91f10e

Anyone cracked open a box recently and found this?

hxxp://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-LOT-500-TSR-DUNGEONS-DRAGONS-BOOKS-SETS-GURPS-GYGAX-RPG-VINTAGE-/260861718798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbc91f10e

HOLY! That is the trove! I might have actually spent the money on that if I would have known about it...that is an amazing collection..

<----cries over the missed opportunity. ;) Of course I probably have a lot of that stuff already...

HOLY! That is the trove! I might have actually spent the money on that if I would have known about it...that is an amazing collection..

Gutted I missed a chance to bid on that - might even have been made enough to win it, admittedly my wife would probably have killed me .... but .....

I mean look at that stuff, some of it is hugely collectable its an investment honey ;)

Makes me wonder what I could get for my collection...

Makes me wonder what I could get for my collection...

Depends on what you have. The biggest stuff that I see in that lot are R1-R4. If you have any of the early mono stuff that would significantly increase the value.

Still would like to someday get the Palace of the Silver Princess orange book in my collection.