I got my print on demand copy of this book and pdf from Drivethrurpg just this last November, and it saved me a lot of trouble in trying to hunt down an original copy of it; let alone it source material, let me tell you!
I couldn’t wait to listen to the whole thing before I had to comment. Made it to 2:10 actually. I’m 48 years old. Started in 1987 with the red box. In time expanding to the blue and green boxes. Taught myself to play and mourned the loss of Alena. Taught myself to DM and ran games for my friends. Played in my teens but quickly shifted to a job and girlfriend after just a couple years. Always loved it but life took over. By 18 I was graduated, married, a father, and serving in the Navy. With a schedule that busy there was no time for D&D. That said, sometime around 1996? I saw the Rules Cyclopedia in a bookstore with the wife and daughter. We were just passing through on the way into the mall. I had to stop and check it out. As I flipped through the pages I began to realize what I was holding. This was the holy grail of D&D. It was everything I would ever need… all in 1 book. Mind you I hadn’t played it in years and I already had 3 of the 4 books this thing was made of. That didn’t matter. I knew how big of a deal this was. I started geeking out about it, trying to explain to my wife why this book was so important. I don’t think she got it but she loved (still does) me and could see how excited I was about it. So we got it. With absolutely no intention of using it in the short term but knowing if I ever got back into playing, I would. I took it home and read through it. Then it sat on my bookshelf/was in storage for 20 years. About 7 years ago I started playing again and have been using it ever since. I started a campaign and played with my wife, adult daughter, her husband, and many other close friends. Nowadays, I run 2 leagues. A summer and a winter group in an ongoing Mystara campaign world. My winter league grown from 4 players in its first year (wife still among them)to me capping it at 7 when we started its 3rd year. They all buy copies of the RC after their first year in the game. I love this book and am thankful I got it. BECMI Forever! Long Live King Elmore!! ps-enjoying the video so far, thanks
The Rules Cyclopedia consolidated four of the five Mentzer box sets published between 1984 and 1986: Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters (the B, E, C, and M of BECMI). It covers levels 1-36. The last Mentzer set (Immortals) was really a separate game and was not included in the book.
I still have mine I got back in 1992. We used it yesterday for the Encounter Tables. It was the first D&D book I bought. It had everything we needed to get started.
The name of the book is perfect. That is exactly what this book is, an encyclopedia of all the rules to play Dungeons & Dragons. Bought mine in 1995 at a bookstore and still use it to this day running 2 campaign leagues a year. BECMI Forever! Long Live King Elmore!!
I am tempted to hint down an original copy. The modern "reprints" have fuzzy text. It looks like the result of an early inkjet printer... Jaggy/fuzzy. Great book though!
I hunted down a really good copy that's been really well-taken-care-of for like $90. The low-end prices were all reprints from DTRPG sold at inflated prices.
I got started with AD&D 2e when it was brand new, but if I had known better I would have bought all the BECMI books including the box sets and Gazetteers, but the crowning jewels of the whole system was RC and WotI. If I could only have 2 books it would be those. I was young enough to think I was too good to play basic, so I went straight for the advanced. You had to have friends in the game or learn the hard way back in those dark times.
I’d say that eventually becomes discernible. It really does sound like you are belittling it through most of your review. That’s probably just a byproduct of all the giggling and snickering the one gentleman does while he talks. It definitely sends mixed messages. I can never stand aside while BECMI is besmirched. Either way, thanks for responding. At least you got some comments out of it.
The should have called it D&D Fast instead of Basic. You had me sold. Thought it would be cool to have them all because I don't have Mentzer. So I went to DTRPG put it in the shopping cart until I got to the part that reminded me I don't send money to the Hipsters of the Coast. We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today....
I think the RC is the best D&D rulebook ever made, regardless if it is from tsr or wotc. Why were there different editions of it simultaneously? Simple. They had to because there was a settlement with Dave Arneson. Should d&d ever go out of print for more than 90 days, the rights would go back to the original creators. This is why they continued publishing gazetteers for the Known World. The last basic d&d book / box was the classic D&D Game in 1997, just shortly before the takeover by wotc. Wotc made an agreement with arneson, so ad&d merged into d&d and there was only third edition after 2000... D&d had a decent fan base, it did sell, it still has. All Basic Set modules are available as pod, almost all X and Cm, and some Master and Immortal. The Expert Rulebook too, the creature catalogue and the whole GAZ series. Most retro clones are basic based, esp (Advanced) Labyrinth Lord, ACKS, OSE, Dragonslayer or Basis Fantasy, incorporating advanced class /race into the bx engine. I would give the Holmes Basic set a special place in the family tree though. It is obviously part of the Original D&D, Basic and AD&D lines, all at once. Its stats are od&d, it is included into the bx line and shares ad&d alignment, plus referencing to it. It is the notsomuch mission link of it all. And has its own retro clones BTW, Blueholme for example
You clearly understand that old school essentials, labyrinth lord, and a ton of others OSR versions as virtually the exact same as what you perpetually call basic yet you refer to them with respect while you display contempt for D&D. I don’t understand why. Can you help me understand?
It wasn’t D&D basic. It was just Dungeons & Dragons. Old white box… Moldvay B/X… Mentzer BECMI All just D&D fellas. You carry the same ridiculous misunderstanding from 40 years ago. Quite a shame too as BECMI was superior to “advanced“ in many, many ways. Too bad they had to screw over Dave and attempt to create a “new” game. Would have been interesting to see what it could have become. You do realize Gary slapped the word advanced on there to entice soft young minds into thinking it was better. BECMI Forever! Long Live King Elmore!!
It definitely worked. When I played as a kid in the 90s we didn't bother with "basic" because we were already playing "Advanced"; playing "Basic" felt like a step backwards with simplified rules for "noobs". And then TSR abandoned it entirely to focus on AD&D.
I got my print on demand copy of this book and pdf from Drivethrurpg just this last November, and it saved me a lot of trouble in trying to hunt down an original copy of it; let alone it source material, let me tell you!
I bought mine a bit before that, but I did it just for the historic value. It's fun to browse it, and it's still full of good ideas.
I couldn’t wait to listen to the whole thing before I had to comment. Made it to 2:10 actually.
I’m 48 years old. Started in 1987 with the red box. In time expanding to the blue and green boxes. Taught myself to play and mourned the loss of Alena. Taught myself to DM and ran games for my friends. Played in my teens but quickly shifted to a job and girlfriend after just a couple years. Always loved it but life took over. By 18 I was graduated, married, a father, and serving in the Navy. With a schedule that busy there was no time for D&D. That said, sometime around 1996? I saw the Rules Cyclopedia in a bookstore with the wife and daughter. We were just passing through on the way into the mall. I had to stop and check it out. As I flipped through the pages I began to realize what I was holding. This was the holy grail of D&D. It was everything I would ever need… all in 1 book. Mind you I hadn’t played it in years and I already had 3 of the 4 books this thing was made of. That didn’t matter. I knew how big of a deal this was. I started geeking out about it, trying to explain to my wife why this book was so important. I don’t think she got it but she loved (still does) me and could see how excited I was about it. So we got it. With absolutely no intention of using it in the short term but knowing if I ever got back into playing, I would. I took it home and read through it. Then it sat on my bookshelf/was in storage for 20 years. About 7 years ago I started playing again and have been using it ever since. I started a campaign and played with my wife, adult daughter, her husband, and many other close friends. Nowadays, I run 2 leagues. A summer and a winter group in an ongoing Mystara campaign world. My winter league grown from 4 players in its first year (wife still among them)to me capping it at 7 when we started its 3rd year. They all buy copies of the RC after their first year in the game.
I love this book and am thankful I got it.
BECMI Forever!
Long Live King Elmore!!
ps-enjoying the video so far, thanks
The Rules Cyclopedia consolidated four of the five Mentzer box sets published between 1984 and 1986: Basic, Expert, Companion, and Masters (the B, E, C, and M of BECMI). It covers levels 1-36. The last Mentzer set (Immortals) was really a separate game and was not included in the book.
You are 100% correct. I'm looking at my Immortal PDFs now and... it's definitely different. Thank you for the clarification.
I still have mine I got
back in 1992. We used it
yesterday for the
Encounter Tables. It was the first D&D book I bought. It had everything we needed to get started.
The name of the book is perfect. That is exactly what this book is, an encyclopedia of all the rules to play Dungeons & Dragons. Bought mine in 1995 at a bookstore and still use it to this day running 2 campaign leagues a year.
BECMI Forever!
Long Live King Elmore!!
Agree. And Cyclopedia is more of an archaic term for Encyclopedia so that is a better word
I am tempted to hint down an original copy. The modern "reprints" have fuzzy text. It looks like the result of an early inkjet printer... Jaggy/fuzzy. Great book though!
May your quest be successful!
I hunted down a really good copy that's been really well-taken-care-of for like $90. The low-end prices were all reprints from DTRPG sold at inflated prices.
I have a POD copy. I had the original in the 90's but they are hard to get. Trust me I've tried. My favorite rule book on my shelf. It's soo good.
I've been hunting for a good copy and it's hard to find one in decent condition.
Three Hearts Three Lions was the name of the book.
Cheers!
The art also has recurring characters, which interact with each other, a little bit.
I got started with AD&D 2e when it was brand new, but if I had known better I would have bought all the BECMI books including the box sets and Gazetteers, but the crowning jewels of the whole system was RC and WotI. If I could only have 2 books it would be those. I was young enough to think I was too good to play basic, so I went straight for the advanced. You had to have friends in the game or learn the hard way back in those dark times.
I’d say that eventually becomes discernible. It really does sound like you are belittling it through most of your review. That’s probably just a byproduct of all the giggling and snickering the one gentleman does while he talks. It definitely sends mixed messages.
I can never stand aside while BECMI is besmirched.
Either way, thanks for responding. At least you got some comments out of it.
The should have called it D&D Fast instead of Basic. You had me sold. Thought it would be cool to have them all because I don't have Mentzer. So I went to DTRPG put it in the shopping cart until I got to the part that reminded me I don't send money to the Hipsters of the Coast.
We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today....
I think the RC is the best D&D rulebook ever made, regardless if it is from tsr or wotc.
Why were there different editions of it simultaneously? Simple. They had to because there was a settlement with Dave Arneson. Should d&d ever go out of print for more than 90 days, the rights would go back to the original creators. This is why they continued publishing gazetteers for the Known World. The last basic d&d book / box was the classic D&D Game in 1997, just shortly before the takeover by wotc. Wotc made an agreement with arneson, so ad&d merged into d&d and there was only third edition after 2000... D&d had a decent fan base, it did sell, it still has. All Basic Set modules are available as pod, almost all X and Cm, and some Master and Immortal. The Expert Rulebook too, the creature catalogue and the whole GAZ series. Most retro clones are basic based, esp (Advanced) Labyrinth Lord, ACKS, OSE, Dragonslayer or Basis Fantasy, incorporating advanced class /race into the bx engine.
I would give the Holmes Basic set a special place in the family tree though. It is obviously part of the Original D&D, Basic and AD&D lines, all at once. Its stats are od&d, it is included into the bx line and shares ad&d alignment, plus referencing to it. It is the notsomuch mission link of it all. And has its own retro clones BTW, Blueholme for example
You clearly understand that old school essentials, labyrinth lord, and a ton of others OSR versions as virtually the exact same as what you perpetually call basic
yet you refer to them with respect while you display contempt for D&D.
I don’t understand why.
Can you help me understand?
It wasn’t D&D basic. It was just Dungeons & Dragons.
Old white box…
Moldvay B/X…
Mentzer BECMI
All just D&D fellas.
You carry the same ridiculous misunderstanding from 40 years ago. Quite a shame too as BECMI was superior to “advanced“ in many, many ways.
Too bad they had to screw over Dave and attempt to create a “new” game. Would have been interesting to see what it could have become.
You do realize Gary slapped the word advanced on there to entice soft young minds into thinking it was better.
BECMI Forever!
Long Live King Elmore!!
Fully agree. And it is Companion for the "C".
It definitely worked. When I played as a kid in the 90s we didn't bother with "basic" because we were already playing "Advanced"; playing "Basic" felt like a step backwards with simplified rules for "noobs". And then TSR abandoned it entirely to focus on AD&D.
Why do you continuously present everything as if it’s ridiculous?
Do you intend that disrespect?
Ridiculous? No. Ridiculously fun? Yes 🙂