The reader will discover a very special treasure trove of 1st Edition compatible tribute magic items as well as essays about select films, stories and play sessions that greatly inspired Rob Kuntz’s colleague while creating the world’s first commercial RPG!

Rob Kuntz takes you on an intertwined tour, starting in 1973, of what became the first commercial RPG. He details its UR beginning and how specific external matter influenced it before and during its play-tests 50 years ago; and then uses the same inspirational material to produce the send-up items contained herein!

A Platinum Studded Send-Up to RJK’s Mentor, Co-designer and Co-DM!

The Red Book™ Volume #1: Celebrating 50 years since the inception and play-testing of the world's first commercial RPG in 1973!

Product Description: Downloadable and fully printable colour PDF in booklet style, 36 pages, size 8.5" x 11.00". Viewable on all electronic devices (PC/MAC/Android) equipped with FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader. Full colour cover art and black and white interior art by Italian graphic artist Davide Gambarara.

Product Synopsis: This work is presented in two sections: Section #1, The Gewgaws; and Section #2, Some Influences Related to E.G.G. in Creating (and play-testing) D&D™.

The Gewgaws…

As no mere magic item ever sufficed for my counterpart during the play-tests of the game, so too now. Only very special contrivances of the kind passed muster, such as…

The Globe of Eight. Can you deal with a globe that presents 8 different, and seemingly familiar, personages who provide you with quests, powers and items including the possibility of restoring an extinct empire? Can you claim all of its magical power and knowledge or will you get stranded in its intricacies? Includes a new spell, Nigbee’s Insensate Soliloquy, and additional sub-quest magic items. This globe is not a just a globe! It will propel you on magical journeys across history itself! (Warning: Major Easter Eggs Present!)

The Craven Raven. Is it a servant or a stooge…? Well, possibly both! It definitely has its own way about it and will memorize just about anything, collects trinkets and scouts like a champ… But there’s a catch to all of its benefits as noted in its title… And if it dies, well, there’s always the wizard who created it to turn to, for a price, of course: Pryce Osher. Who will outwit who? Master or bird? This item is a never-ending adventure by itself!

The Mirror of Jo-Ben: Can you complete a multi-layered quest from a wizard trapped in his own mirror? Doing so will repair the mirror and free him! One needs to only guess what the reward will be, and it’s not his cockatrice-skin bag…

The Gnome Gem: A beautiful and intricately cut gem which follows you about until you use all of its limited powers. And then

the gnome who inhabits it demands payment to recharge the gem since he “Doesn’t work for free!” This lovely item will have PCs going on perpetual gem-quests to satisfy the greedy gnome…

…And many more like the above, including one which frees a goddess and reunites her with her consort: The Fare-Thee-Well Feather…

The Influences…

Rob Kuntz details early influences on the creation of the first commercial RPG in many informative and action-packed excursions and essays: He covers the movies Zotz!, The Raven, Seven Faces of Dr. Lao and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad; and relates how he managed to deal with the Gygaxian Golden Horde as his counterpart’s DM during the 1973 play-tests, and how Gary missed an adventure into a gnome mine that he’d planned, and by way of the latter’s fixation with raiding the outdoor environs. The coverage includes an appropriate nod to the EX1 & EX2 adventures to note that it was EGG who first delved into dreamlands in the original campaign via Lewis Carroll. Select subject matter in this section relates back to the first section’s send-up magic items!

** HOT $5.00 SAVING TIP! ** Purchase 'THE GEWGAWS PRYCE BUNDLE' for $15.00 and save $5.00. THE GEWGAWS PRYCE BUNDLE = GARGAX'S GLORIOUS GEWGAWS + PRYCE'S PRICE. The discount is ONLY applicable when you purchase the actual BUNDLE product from our product listing (Ref: RB00173-RB00273).