GW 1e question

[coffee]

I just won a 1e rulebook on ebay. Unfortunately, it's just the rulebook.

What else came in the boxed set?

And, is any of that essential?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

The rulebook alone is enough to run a GW 1E game, as all that was included otherwise in the box was a map and a set of dice. You should already have the dice, as they are standard polyhedrals. As for the map, various renditions of it are available online:

www.sorvan.com/games/gammaworld/gwmap.gif

For Mad Irishman's map, go to this link, scroll down, and download the PDF:

www.mad-irishman.net/pub_gammaworld.html

And Tormentor has the 2E+ version of the map here:

www.gammaworld.us/CampaignResources.html

It is also found in Dragon Magazine #25, along with an excellent article on Cryptic Alliances by Jim Ward, co-creator of Gamma World.

So really, you don't need the map. It is nice to have, though...

[geoffrey]

Yep, the rulebook is ALL that you need. The folded map that came in the box was merely a blank hex map of North America with altered coastlines. It's nice to have as a collector, but for playing Gamma World it is useless, IMO.

Only three additional items were published by TSR for 1st edition Gamma World:

Module GW1: Legion of Gold (by Gary Gygax)
Module GW2: Famine in Far-Go
Referee's Screen (with mini-module "The Albuquerque Starport")

I, alas, don't much like any of those three products. I like Erol Otus's art in GW1 and on the cover of the ref's screen, but that's about it. Erol Otus was born to draw Gamma World pictures!

So you're good to go. All you need is your 1st edition GW rulebook, paper, pencil, and dice for a lifetime of science fantasy campaigning. Hell, you don't even need the perforated pages at the end of the GW rulebook. If your copy doesn't have them, you aren't missing anything.

[coffee]

Thanks, guys; I knew I could count on you!

It was because of the discussion on this list that I decided to take the plunge and get a copy. I hadn't been interested before.

James, thanks for the map links. Those are great! Have an exalt for that.

Geoffrey, thanks for the pic. I think Erol Otus should put together a collection of his work, like a coffee table book sort of thing. I know I'd buy it, and I'm pretty sure others around here would as well.

[yesmar]

In addition to the rulebook there was the awesome map of the post-apocalyptic North America. It was mostly empty, as geoffrey has pointed out, but I still claim it as awesome because it's very emptiness inspired the mind's eye. That's one of the powers of old TSR stuff, in my opinion. The boxed set also came with some dice, as I recall. But yeah, all you really need is the rulebook.