It never ceases to amaze me the amount of classic TSR Era releases that are now available in PDF and often POD via DTRPG. All of the TSR Era PDFs are on sale for the Christmas in July Sale, and I'm going to pick out a few favs and notable ones.
Gamma World (1e) - My first (and only - in my heart of hearts) version of Gamma World, this holds a very special place in my gaming collection as the first RPG I owned after getting my core AD&D 1e books. Never like Constitution for Hit Dice though - This is the setting for a GAMMA WORLD™ campaign, with players taking on the persona of an individual character somewhere in this forbidding locale. In a quest for survival and in search of a better future, the players adventure across the land, enduring hardships and encountering dangerous obstacles and mysterious foes - never knowing quite what to expect. The result is a game which can go in many directions, but which will be challenging and fascinating no matter what the outcome.
Boot Hill Wild West Role-Playing Game (2nd Edition) - Another of my early RPG purchases, I learned about Boot Hill from the AD&D 1e DMG. Sadly, my group didn't express much interest in playing it - You step from the cool shade of the Long Branch Saloon into the midday heat of Promise City. Loosening your Colt in its holster, you look down Main Street and spot the leather and denim-clad stranger who called you out. Citizens of the town scramble for cover as they sense the forthcoming battle. The outlaw doesn't look fast enough to match your draw, but ... wait! Your keen eyes catch the unmistakable glint of the sun against gun metal from the roof of the dance hall—the yellow coward has a buddy who's going to shoot you in the back! What will you do? Think fast. or you'll be the next resident of ... BOOT HILL!
The World of Greyhawk (1e) - This was all the setting we needed back in the early 80s. Heck, my original maps still have stains from the grease pencils we used to mark the territory my gaming group was conquering in the Wild Coast ;) - So the players have been complaining that the campaign is too dull, eh? Not enough detail? Why is this country at war with its neighbors? How can trade routes exist with all those wandering monsters? Most importantly, why do all of those unsacked, unlooted dungeons and ruins stand so close to the one big city all of the adventurers in the world hail from? Rejoice, Dungeon Masters, and relax! All of these questions can be answered by following the example of the volume in your hands. The World of Greyhawk is here, and is suitable for use as the backdrop of a new campaign without changes; or, as an alternative, city, country or geographical descriptions can be used to fill in details for existing campaigns. The World of Greyhawk is in the form of a gazetteer written by a historian native to the region, and as such includes the calendar systems used by the peoples of Oerth, a history of the major nations over the last thousand years, a discussion of climate in the different regions of the world, and even an appendix listing many runes and symbols (and their meanings) which are found in ancient and magical writings.
Fiend Folio (1e) - Before I owned a copy of the Monster Manual, I snagged a copy of the Fiend Folio. It was here that I learned that HDstood for Hit Dice, and WAS NOT synonymous with HP. Damn, my group was disappointed when the monsters started having more than 1 HP per HD :) A Guidebook of Creatures Malevolent and Benign. This tome contains alphabetical listings of monsters designed for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game system. Each creature is described and most are illustrated for easy identification. Using the new encounter tables contained herein, this work is sure to add new excitement to any AD&D game.
T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil (1e) - I've heard it claimed that ToEE is not a megadungeon, and I would have to disagree. I ran it was a campaign at least three times in my high school and college years, and any dungeon that can keep a group running for months is mega in my eyes - A sinister force, long thought destroyed, stirs from the black hole that spawned it. Like an ebony darkness it prowls the land and safety is but an illusion, for it watches from every shadow and ponders possibilities. What began years ago, with the introduction of the players to the quiet village of Hommlet and the amazing lands of Greyhawk, at last is complete. Here is the long-awaited campaign adventure, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil, where a great evil broods and grows beneath its blasted stones. This is your chance to drive it back and scatter its force again. This product includes the village of Hommlet, the filthy shire of Nulb, and reveals the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil and the labyrinths that lie beneath, a warren of darkness. And beyond these ruins, even more, is revealed. For the first time, this product provides a complete campaign adventure, which will take beginning characters from 1st all the way to 8th level and possibly beyond! Hours of adventuring await you!
D&D Basic Set Rulebook - Moldvay Basic. This was the Basic Set of rules as I knew them and of course, teenage me was not impressed with anything named "Basic" as we played "Advanced". I'll admit it now, I was a fool - This is the 1981 edition of the D&D Basic Rulebook, which was sold as part of the boxed D&D Basic Set and also on its own. It was the first true standalone edition of what became "Basic D&D" as previous editions had instead been based on OD&D play.
You can also snag the D&D Expert Set Rulebook for 3.74
B2 The Keep on the Borderlands - Although I refused to play or run Basic D&D "back in the day" I had no problem running The Keep on the Borderlands with the AD&D rules. An adventure as well as a sandbox setting (and home base), it has been a go-to for me for many years -This module includes a cover folder with maps and a complete description booklet to form a ready-made scenario for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Basic Set. It has been specially designed for use by beginning Dungeon Masters so that they may begin play with a minimum of preparations. Within are many features to aid novice players and Dungeon Masters: legends, history and background information, a list of adventuring characters, tips on how to be an effective Dungeon Master, plus an interesting area for characters to base themselves in (the Keep) before setting out to explore the Caves of Chaos.
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