Dungeons And Dragons Basic Set

The ''Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' is a set of rulebooks for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. First published in 1977, it saw a handful of revisions and reprintings. The first edition was written by J. Eric Holmes based on Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's original work. Later editions were edited by Tom Moldvay, Frank Mentzer, Troy Denning, and Doug Stewart.

The ''Basic Set'' details the essential concepts of the ''D&D'' game. It gives rules for character creation and advancement for player characters at beginning levels. It also includes information on how to play adventures inside dungeons for both players and the Dungeon Master.

1977 version

The original ''Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' was published by TSR, Inc. in 1977.

TSR hired outside writer John Eric Holmes to produce the ''Basic Set'' as an introductory version of the ''D&D'' game. It incorporates concepts from the original 1974 ''D&D'' boxed set plus the '' Supplement I: Greyhawk''. The rulebook covers characters of levels one through three, rules for adventuring in dungeons, and introduces the concepts of the game; it explains the game's concepts and method of play in terms that make them accessible to new players ages twelve and above who might not be familiar with tabletop miniatures wargaming. Although the ''Basic Set'' was not fully compatible with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', players were expected to continue play beyond third level by moving to ''AD&D'', which was released beginning later that year. Holmes preferred a lighter tone with more room for personal improvisation, while Gary Gygax, who wrote the ''Advanced'' books, wanted an expansive game with rulings on any conceivable situation which might come up during play, and so could be used to arbitrate disputes at tournaments.

The first ''Basic Set'' was available as a 48-page standalone rulebook featuring artwork by David C. Sutherland III, or as part of a boxed set, which was packaged in a larger, more visually appealing box than the original boxed set, allowing the game to be stocked on retail shelves and targeted at the general public via toy stores. The boxed set included a set of polyhedral dice and supplemental materials. In that same year, Games Workshop (U.K.) published their own version of the rulebook, with a cover by John Blanche, and illustrations by Fangorn. Supplemental materials appearing in the boxed set included geomorphs, monster and treasure lists, and a set of polyhedral dice.

For a period in 1979, TSR experienced a dice shortage. Basic sets published during this time frame came with two sheets of numbered cutout cardstock chits that functioned in lieu of dice, along with a coupon for ordering dice from TSR. The rulebook also included a brief sample dungeon with a full-page map. Starting with the fourth printing in 1978, the two booklets of maps, encounter tables, and treasure lists were replaced with the module B1 ''In Search of the Unknown''; printings six through eleven (1979–1982) featured the module B2 ''The Keep on the Borderlands'' instead.

Jon Peterson, for ''Polygon'', highlighted that Dave Arneson sued TSR over ''Basic Set'' royalties in 1977 – Arneson was only being paid royalties for the ''Basic D&D'' rulebook included in the boxed set and was not paid for the "cover price of the whole ''Basic Set''". Peterson wrote "as Arneson's lawsuit loomed, TSR made a very pointed substitution to the contents of the ''Basic Set'': they rotated out the ''Dungeon Geomorphs'' and ''Monster & Treasure Assortment'' booklets, replacing them with Mike Carr's ''In Search of the Unknown'' module. ..It was a good idea to target a module at beginning dungeon masters — but it also had clear implications for the legal situation. Previously, when Arneson sought a 5% royalty on the whole contents of the ''Basic Set'', he was effectively asking for money that was going into Gygax's pocket. Now, he would instead be asking for money earmarked for his friend Mike Carr". Carr received royalties for ''In Search of the Unknown'' when the module was sold alone and when it was included in the ''Basic Set''. After the September 1979 disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' received "mainstream notoriety. And with that, sales of the ''Basic Set'' rose dramatically. Right before the steam tunnel incident, the ''Basic Set'' might have sold 5,000 copies a month. By the end of 1979, it was trading over 30,000 copies per month, and only going up from there". Following Carr's financial success due to his module being included in the boxed set, Gygax changed the module included with the ''Basic Set'' to ''Keep on the Borderlands'' which was a module he wrote.

1981 revision

After the release of the ''AD&D'' game, the ''Basic Set'' saw a major revision in 1981 by editor Tom Moldvay. The game was not brought in line with ''AD&D'' but instead further away from that ruleset, and thus the basic ''D&D'' game became a separate and distinct product line from ''AD&D''. The former was promoted as a continuation of the tone of original ''D&D'', while ''AD&D'' was an advancement of the mechanics.

The revised version of the set included a larger, sixty-four page rule book with a red border and a color cover by Erol Otus, the module B2 ''The Keep on the Borderlands'', six polyhedral dice, and a marking crayon. The book was predrilled for use in a three-ringed binder, and the complete set of polyhedral dice came in a heat-sealed bag with a small wax crayon to use in coloring the numbers on the dice. The revised rulebook was visually distinct from the previous version: the Holmes booklet had a monochrome pale blue cover, while the Moldvay rulebook had a bright red cover.

With the revision of the ''Basic Set'', discrete rulesets for higher character levels were introduced as expansions for the basic game. The Moldvay ''Basic Set'' was immediately followed by the accompanying release of an '' Expert Set'' edited by Dave Cook with Steve Marsh that supported character levels four through fourteen, with the intent that players would continue with the ''Expert Set''.

Peterson commented that "because ''Keep on the Borderlands'' would ship with the Moldvay ''Basic Set'', at the height of the ''D&D'' boom in 1981, it became one of the most widely known modules in ''D&D'' history, selling 750,000 copies a year. It might never have served as the gateway to adventure for so many players if it hadn't been for a certain legal dispute and its consequences".

1983 revision

In 1983, the ''Basic Set'' was revised again, this time by Frank Mentzer, and redubbed ''Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules''. The set included a sixty-four page ''Players Manual'', a forty-eight page ''Dungeon Masters Rulebook'', six dice, and in sets in which the dice were not painted, a crayon. The 1983 revision was packaged in a distinctive red box, and featured cover art by Larry Elmore. Between 1983 and 1985, the system was revised and expanded by Mentzer as a series of five boxed sets, including the ''Basic Rules'' (red cover), '' Expert Rules'' (blue), '' Companion Rules'' (teal, supporting levels fifteen through twenty-five), '' Master Rules'' (black, supporting levels twenty-six through thirty-six), and '' Immortal Rules'' (gold, supporting Immortals, characters who had transcended levels). Instead of an adventure module, the ''Basic Set'' rulebooks included a solo adventure and an introductory scenario to be run by the Dungeon Master.

The rules for the game were little changed from the Moldvay set, but the presentation was overhauled into a more tutorial form, to make the game easier for younger players to learn.

The ''10th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Collector's Set'' boxed set, published by TSR in 1984, included the rulebooks from the ''Basic'', ''Expert'', and ''Companion'' sets; modules AC2, AC3, B1, B2, and M1 ''Blizzard Pass''; Player Character Record Sheets; and dice. This set was limited to a thousand copies, and was sold by mail and at GenCon 17.

1991 revision

In 1991, TSR released a new version of the ''Basic Set'', labeled ''The New Easy-to-Master Dungeons & Dragons Game'' and nicknamed the "black box". This version was principally designed by Troy Denning and made few changes to the game. It included support for characters up to fifth level instead of the third-level limit of prior ''Basic Set'' versions.

The rules are presented twice, once in a 64-page rule book, and again in the ''Dungeon Card Learning Pack'', a set of 48 cards that also includes four-page supplementary mini-adventures. Inspired by the SRA reading program, the front of each card features a discussion of a single facet of the rules, such as non-player characters, hit dice, or initiative rolls. The back of the card describes a brief scenario to illustrate the rules discussed on the front. The set also includes a Dungeon Master's Screen which doubles as a folder for the cards, fold-up cardboard pawns, a color map sheet, and dice.

TSR published the ''Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia'' the same year, compiling and revising the rules from the ''Basic'', ''Expert'', ''Companion'', and ''Master Rules'' box sets to allow players to continue beyond the black box.

1994 revision

A final version of the set entitled ''The Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game'' was produced in 1994. Edited by Doug Stewart, it removed the tutorial cards of the "black box", incorporating the material into sidebars within the single 128-page ''Rules and Adventure Book''. The set also included a Dungeon Master's Screen, a set of six plastic miniatures for players, 24 foldable cardboard enemy standees, a poster map, and a set of dice. It was packaged in a tan-sided box.

Reception

Clayton Miner reviewed the 1981 version of the ''Basic Set'' for ''Pegasus'' magazine #1 (1981). Miner commented that "the book is a vast improvement over the earlier version. Better organization and well written rules are the main features of this edition.

Anders Swenson and Douglas Law reviewed the ''Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' and ''Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set'' for ''Different Worlds'' magazine and stated that "The new ''D&D Basic'' and ''Expert Sets'' should be a smooth introduction to the hobby of adventure-game playing for vast numbers of new players and an enjoyable addition to the libraries of experienced players. We recommend this version of the game over the previous editions, especially for beginners, because it is clearer, better organized, and more refined."

Doug Cowie reviewed the 1983 version of the ''Basic Set'' for ''Imagine'' magazine and gave it a positive review. According to Cowie, while the rules stay the same, thus allowing those with the older version to continue using their sets, the presentation has changed. He approved of the fact that "at long last", a game company released a product that explains to someone new to role-playing games how to get started. Cowie ended his review by stating that "Basic is a lot closer to the spirit of the original game than is the rambling, unwieldy and sometimes pompous Advanced" and that "for one-off dungeon type games I would recommend Basic to anyone, beginner and veteran alike."

References

Reviews: ''Different Worlds'' #34 (1984), ''Dragon'' #84 (1984)

External links

The Inside Scoop on Gaming - RPGnet

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set
Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1977