Comments on: Writers reminisce about Dungeons & Dragons

By: Dungeons & Dragons Makes You a Better Jew » Mixed Multitudes – My Jewish Learning: Exploring Judaism & Jewish Life

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:06:21 +0000

[...] Staggs just wrote an article for Random House’s science fiction site, Suvudu, about plans to revitalize and relaunch the old Dungeons & Dragons red-box [...]

By: Matt Staggs

Matt Staggs — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:33:52 +0000

Hey Todd,
Here’s what led me to make that conclusion. As it turns out, the preface from the Holmes Basic Set, not the red box, like I remembered.
In any case, here it is in its entirety. See the last sentence. That’s what I thought I remembered in the red box.
This book is based upon the original work published in 1974 and three supplementary booklets published in the two year period after the initial release of Dungeons & Dragons. It is aimed solely at introducing the reader to the concepts of fantasy role playing and the basic play of this game. To this end it limits itself to basics. The rules contained herein allow only for the first three levels of player progression, and instructions for the game referee, the “Dungeon Master,” are kept to the minimum necessary to allow him to conduct basic games. This is absolutely necessary because the game is completely open-ended, is subject to modification, expansion, and interpretation according to the desires of the group participating, and is in general not bounded by the conventional limitations of other types of games. This work is far more detailed and more easily understood than were the original booklets nonetheless, for with it, and the other basic components of the game, any intelligent and imaginative person can speedily understand and play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS as it was meant to be played. Players who desire to go beyond the basic game are directed to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons books.
Anyway, thanks for prompting me to look that up, in any case.

By: ToddBS

ToddBS — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:35:20 +0000

I don’t know that the original red box was necessarily intended to lead into AD&D. At that time, they were two substantially different games. The red box led to the blue “Expert” set, which led to the aquamarine “Companion” set, which led to the black “Master” set. Then there was the tan “Immortal” set, but that really held no interest for me.
The world of Mystara slowly took shape through these box sets. I still enjoy that setting.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:44:13 +0000

I believe strongly that this is true not only for authors but for anyone who’s required to think creatively on a day to day basis.
Playing D&D as a kid I had to learn to work in a team (collaboration), define the scope of my work (very basic project management) and then execute our plan and adjust accordingly as things went wrong or in those rare cases, better than expected.
As a GM a little later on I picked up more specific skills.
Writing, research, deadlines, planning – all of that stuff that goes into making a playable campaign long before the players show up with my weekly ration of Mt. Dew.
Both playing in and running a campaign also encourage thinking outside the box – solving complex problems often in a social context both within the game and withing the group of real, live people hanging about.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:32:14 +0000

When I was playing Basic D&D, I think the box was purple. The Expert add-on set came in a blue box…
Then again, that was ages ago…
(sigh..)

By: Ari Marmell

Ari Marmell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:36:49 +0000

Hey! That’s my column topic!
Seriously, very nice. And it very well dovetails with what I was saying, about the game’s influence on fantasy writers, from the beginning and to this day.
My only complaint is that the new basic rules aren’t coming out for months yet.