The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977 (Deep Dive)

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New book offers never-before-seen art and archival materials from the early days of D&D

In 2024, Dungeons & Dragons will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and as part of the ongoing festivities, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing a new retrospective book entitled The Making of Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977. The book will include all new materials from the D&D archives, including early concept art, game materials, and even unreleased correspondence between D&D co-creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The book will be released on June 18th, 2024 and is currently available for order now from Amazon.

We recently got out hands on a copy courtesy of the Wizards of the Coast and have had a chance to dig through it. Below, we break into everything that’s included.

Table of Contents

• What is “The Making of Original D&D” about?
• When is “The Making of Original D&D” coming out?
• How much is “The Making of Original D&D”?
• Is “The Making of Original D&D” worth picking up?
• Final Thoughts & Review Score

What is “The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons?”

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977 is a 576 page retrospective historical account that explores the creation of the popular tabletop roleplaying game and reprints a significant amount of early materials.

The book itself is divided into the following sections:

Preface

This brief introduction is written by Wizards of the Coast designer Jason Tondro who was one of the key figures involved in the development of the book. Notably, Tondro does discuss some of the elements in early materials that may come across as culturally insensitive to modern readers and also provides more details on the making of the book.

Forward

This section is written by game historian Jon Peterson to help research and assemble the materials. Notably, Peterson has published several books on the history and design of D&D, including the book The Game Wizards: The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons, which is seen by many to be the definitive text on the early days of the famed TTRPG.

Part 1: Precursors

This section explores the early games that fed into the eventual creation of D&D. This includes the Braunstein system, Dave Arneson’s development of Blackmoor, the game Outdoor Survival and Chainmail. Notably, the section includes a ton game materials, including an early map of the “the Great Kingdom” (which would go on to influence Gary Gygax’s development of Greyhawk).

Part 2: The 1973 Draft of Dungeons & Dragons

This section includes the actual first draft of D&D, including correspondence between the game’s co-creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It also includes details on the revisions and so-called “Mornard Fragments” which were a series of loose notes that were later incorporated into the final rules. What’s interesting, is that rather than simply providing snippets of text and commentary, the book actually just presents all of the materials page by page and lets the reader judge for themselves. It’s really more an archive than a retrospective in this sense, and it’s a fascinating look into how the game evolved.

Part 3: Original Dungeons & Dragons

This section explores the evolution of the game, including details on the early “Brown Box” and “White Box” D&D sets. The section is literally over 100 pages featuring a reprint of the the original rules, showing how the product began to evolve from a rough fanzine asthetic into a more professional (and profitable) game product.

Part 4: Articles & Additions

This section includes the many supplements that were published in the wake of the core D&D box set, inicluding Greyhawk Players maps, the official Blackmoor campaign, Eldritch Wizardy and Gods, Demi-gods and Heroes. Notably, this section also features reprints of early materials featured in “The Dragon,” the official TSR publication which would later go onto become Dragon Magazine.

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When is “The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons” coming out?

The book is scheduled for release on June 18th, 2024. Notably, Wizards of the Coast has been dealing with a number of printing issues (including reprints that delayed the Book of Many Things box set) and virtually every book that was planned for 2023 saw its data pushed out due to printing and supply chain challenges. That being said, the publisher has said they are expecting it to arrive without any issues.

The book remains a key part of Wizards of the Coast’s plans to celebrate the Dungeons & Dragons 50th Anniversary and WotC has recently released some of the materials that are featured in the book, such as the early character sheet concepts found below.

How much will “The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons” retail for?

The book will retail for $99.99 USD. Notably, this is more than similar recent released such as Lore & Legends and Worlds & Realms, which retail for $50 USD. This is becauseThe Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons has a significantly larger page count and a much larger format.

Notably, there are no alternate covers or special editions of the book available, which is also similar to what we’ve seen with other comparable non-fiction titles.

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Is the “Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons” worth picking up?

If you’re a grognard who loves OSR and old school D&D, chances are you’ll love almost everythinig about this book. If you’re new to D&D, however, or recently cut your teeth with fifth edition, you may find what’s included here a little dense and difficult to wade through.

Pros

• Exclusive Content: Features never-before-seen art, game materials, and correspondence between co-creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
• Historical Insight: Provides a detailed historical account of the early days of D&D, from its precursors to the original boxed sets.
• Comprehensive: A 576-page volume that includes a significant amount of early materials, giving readers an in-depth look at the game’s evolution.
• Expert Contributions: Includes sections written by notable figures like Wizards of the Coast designer Jason Tondro and game historian Jon Peterson.
• Archival Presentation: Offers a unique format that presents original materials page by page, allowing readers to explore the content as it was originally created.

Cons

• Price: At $99.99 USD, the book is more expensive than other recent D&D releases.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Some early materials may contain culturally insensitive elements, which might not appeal to all readers.
• Focused Audience: Primarily geared towards longtime fans and collectors, potentially limiting its appeal to new or casual players.

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Final Thoughts & Review Score

While The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons definitely won’t appeal to everyone, the correspondence, original artwork and reprinting of archival materials offering an incredible and never-before-seen glimpse into the creation of the game we know and love today. The end result is a fitting tribute to a pop culture phenomenon.

Final Review Score: 18 out of 20

You can order your copy of “The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977” now from your local game shop, book store or from Amazon.

Below is also a video with a deeper dive and our early thoughts on the book.

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