|
|
Post by geoffrey on Jul 20, 2010 14:33:07 GMT -6
Last year I sold both of my sets of little brown OD&D books (along with the four supplements) because I got too afraid to use them lest I damage them. After all, they were quite valuable!
I knew that sooner or later I'd want to play some Gygaxian D&D, and lately the itch has been upon me. It was a simple matter for my PDFs of the three 1974 rulebooks and of Supplement I: GREYHAWK to be printed-out in booklet form (8.5" by 5.5") and given cardstock covers. The printer then stapled and trimmed them for me.
Unfortunately, my PDF of Monsters & Treasure does not include balrogs. This isn't acceptable, so I printed-out from a Word document the information on balrogs and taped it to one of the blank pages at the end of the book.
Total cost was about $7.
Now I have my Gygaxian LBBs, and I can feel free to write in them, crease them, fold them, read them with snack-stained fingers, toss them across the room to a player when I'm too lazy to walk, leave them out and not be afraid of my 5-year-old getting artistic on them, etc. In a worst case scenario, I can always get replacement copies for less than $2 each.
This is the way OD&D is meant to be played! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by coffee on Jul 20, 2010 14:57:46 GMT -6
Good job, that man!
I've been using homemade booklets for a while now, and while mine are slightly more spiffed out than the run-of-the mill variety, they're nowhere near as rare as originals, of whatever vintage.
I don't have the Balrog in mine, either, but I'm in the process of putting together an additional volume of Monsters (possibly and Treasure...) with such things, and also additions from TSR, The Dragon, All the World's Monsters, etc. That way, it'll fit in the box with the rest of them.
BTW, I got to sit right next to a guy who bought one of your sets, just a few weeks ago. They were pretty spiffy; he was happy with them.
|
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Jul 20, 2010 15:25:53 GMT -6
I got to sit right next to a guy who bought one of your sets, just a few weeks ago. They were pretty spiffy; he was happy with them. Glad to hear it! ;D |
|
JMiskimen
BANNED
"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." - Sagan
Posts: 53
|
Post by JMiskimen on Jul 20, 2010 19:35:21 GMT -6
I did something similar.
I converted the pdfs to rtfs, then recompiled them into an open office document. After reconstructing the basic charts and adding elements of Chainmail, house rules and what I wanted to include from both Greyhawk and Blackmoor - which was minimal - I then compiled the printed 8.5x11 pages into a multi-ring binder with plastic protected pages (to save against 'gaming fouls' - common in my excitable group) I then topped it off with a color cover emulating the original LBB boxed set.
This works better for me, as my eyesight isn't what it used to be AND with the increased sturdiness of the multi-ring binder - as opposed to a 3 ring binder - I can open the book flatly at the table without losing my place.
Still unsatisfied though, I gathered what useful data I might use from Eldritch Wizardry (all but the psionics, really) and Gods, Demigods and Heroes (along with select articles from Strategic Review/Dragon Magazine/White Dwarf) to compile a supplemental compendium that is my own version of 'Unearthed Arcana' (which I uncreatively titled Supplement III, Eldritch Wizardry Plus); also bound in the same format as above.
Granted, some of the charm of the original format is somewhat lost in this, but it has served quite functional thus far. I only wish I had a digital camera to share photos of it all rather than post such a long winded description.
JM.
|
|
|
|
Post by verhaden on Jul 20, 2010 19:43:50 GMT -6
It's just such a shame that the OD&D PDF's are such low quality. I've actually taken the time to compile my own word document too, but I'm too tempted to not include things or introduce my own houserules, when IMO such a thing should be in a separate houserules booklet.
|
|
|
|
Post by castiglione on Jul 25, 2010 19:35:12 GMT -6
Last year I sold both of my sets of little brown OD&D books (along with the four supplements) because I got too afraid to use them lest I damage them. After all, they were quite valuable! You sold your LBB's because you were afraid of damaging them?  What if the guy you sold them to grubbed them up during the course of his fondling them?  |
|
|
|
Post by kesher on Jul 27, 2010 14:02:02 GMT -6
Last year I sold both of my sets of little brown OD&D books (along with the four supplements) because I got too afraid to use them lest I damage them. After all, they were quite valuable! You sold your LBB's because you were afraid of damaging them? What if the guy you sold them to grubbed them up during the course of his fondling them? Nah, he plays in my group (with coffee)---he was treating them respectfully...  |
|
|
|
Post by verhaden on Jul 27, 2010 16:06:56 GMT -6
Out of sight, out of mind.
|
|
|
|
Post by thegreyelf on Jul 27, 2010 18:36:45 GMT -6
It's just such a shame that the OD&D PDF's are such low quality. I've actually taken the time to compile my own word document too, but I'm too tempted to not include things or introduce my own houserules, when IMO such a thing should be in a separate houserules booklet. Yes, the legal PDFs that WotC made publicly available for legal download were pretty crappy quality. |
|
|
|
Post by piper on Jul 27, 2010 19:06:27 GMT -6
Yes, the legal PDFs (...) were pretty crappy quality. Are there better quality scans available? IM me or Underdark if you have any knowledge of same, please? Thanks! ;D ETA: by the way ... for the casual users here? There is no underdark. It's a rumor only. |
|
|
|
Post by giantbat on Jul 27, 2010 19:37:54 GMT -6
BTW, I got to sit right next to a guy who bought one of your sets, just a few weeks ago. They were pretty spiffy; he was happy with them. Nah, he plays in my group (with coffee)---he was treating them respectfully... I love the feel of them.  |
|
|
|
Post by kesher on Jul 27, 2010 21:29:57 GMT -6
(laughing too hard to do anything but click "Exalt"...)
|
|
arcadayn
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 236
|
Post by arcadayn on Aug 2, 2010 10:06:31 GMT -6
Has anyone worked out covers that don't have the brown background? I printed mine on brown cardstock and the brown color makes them look too dark (not to mention the massive waste of ink).
|
|
|
|
Post by Morandir on Aug 2, 2010 11:56:35 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Aug 2, 2010 15:39:48 GMT -6
You sold your LBB's because you were afraid of damaging them? What if the guy you sold them to grubbed them up during the course of his fondling them? Well, they weren't doing me any good sitting on my shelf. Unused game products make me kind of sad. Before I sold them, I had LBBs that I was afraid to use. After I sold them, I had $$$ and my home-made LBBs that I love to use. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by jmccann on Aug 7, 2010 12:41:00 GMT -6
I have entirely retypeset (somewhat low quality, no kerning, but it should be easy to improve if I get the time) M&M in a pdf using fonts close to the original and bound it pamphlet style, with thread. I scanned the images including the cover and cleaned them all up. I even left the errors and font changes intact. It took
(estimating) something like 30 hours, I did it last year when I was unemployed. Now I have a pristine looking M&M. I don't know when or if I'll get around to the other volumes.
I also worked out how to cut, glue and assemble a white box including the side using some images from the net.
Sadly I have a job now and don't have the time for such silly (and EXTREMEMLY BORING) activities.
|
|
fnast
Level 1 Medium
Posts: 24
|
Post by fnast on Aug 9, 2010 15:01:42 GMT -6
Here are the ones I printed up. Not perfect, but good enough for a "working" set.  The covers could have been much improved had I access to hi-res scans. |
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Aug 9, 2010 15:28:18 GMT -6
I would love a copy of the files that produced those covers!
|
|
|
|
Post by coffee on Aug 9, 2010 15:41:51 GMT -6
Yeah, so would I!
Have an exalt for those.
|
|
|
|
Post by verhaden on Aug 9, 2010 15:47:10 GMT -6
Wow
|
|
fnast
Level 1 Medium
Posts: 24
|
Post by fnast on Aug 9, 2010 15:49:29 GMT -6
Hmm, I may be able to put the files on megaupload or some such.
The files are at work and I have a few days off, so you'll have to be patient.
BTW, is that something I could post here, or would more discretion be in order?
|
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Aug 9, 2010 16:00:21 GMT -6
I would like to see it in the regular “Links & Resources” board; I doubt “discretion” is necessary to post cover scans, let alone fake cover scans.  But it’s Finarvyn’s call. By the way, I remember someone posting a link to a site where you could buy paper stock similar to the original covers. I can’t find the link, though. Could someone repost it? |
|
|
|
Post by Finarvyn on Aug 9, 2010 19:31:49 GMT -6
We can try it in the links and resources section. See how it goes.
|
|
arcadayn
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 236
|
Post by arcadayn on Aug 10, 2010 10:19:07 GMT -6
Wow! Another exalt from me! Outstanding work! I very much look forward to these!
|
|
arcadayn
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 236
|
Post by arcadayn on Aug 10, 2010 12:20:35 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Aug 10, 2010 13:17:11 GMT -6
Great, thanks. Does someone have personal experience with this product and can vouch that it actually matches the actual 3lbbs? It’s very expensive.
|
|
|
|
Post by verhaden on Aug 10, 2010 15:21:18 GMT -6
I believe greyharp vouched for that paper and said it more or less matched his OD&D booklets.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morandir on Aug 10, 2010 21:54:43 GMT -6
TheGreyElf did, IIRC.
|
|
arcadayn
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 236
|
Post by arcadayn on Aug 10, 2010 23:05:23 GMT -6
Yeah, it does seem pretty cost prohibitive. I'm sticking with the cardstock I can get at Hobby Lobby for 20 some cents a sheet until I can find something a little more pocket-book friendly. Has anyone checked out any other chain craft stores for a closer match? We have Nobbies and Michaels in my area. There may be some other scrapbooking places to check out as well. If I find anything worthwhile I'll post it.
|
|
|
|
Post by verhaden on Aug 11, 2010 6:28:25 GMT -6
I think you're right. I knew it was "grey" something, though. |
|
But it’s Finarvyn’s call.
