I just blue myself

We've already talked about the Red Box, the introductory set to D&D Basic Rules. That was meant to introduce new players and DMs to the game and get them familiar with the basics. It was a good set, which I found achieved what it set out to do.

However, that boxset only supported campaigns up to level 3. After that, you were introduced to perhaps the most important (for the publishers, at least) element of tabletop RPGs: constantly shelling out for new supplements.

Hence, the Blue Box.



Officially known as Set 2--Expert Rules, this boxset covers play through level 14. At which point--guess what?--you had to buy another boxset if you wanted to keep playing, assuming you didn't just switch to AD&D and buy those books instead.

Unlike my copy of the Red Box, my Blue Box was in VERY good condition. It was in its original shape and none of the edges were ripped. Like my Red Box, this copy was missing only the dice and *sigh* the fucking crayon. Was this a popular thing back in the early 80s? Because so was hair metal, and that's nothing to be proud of either.



The rulebook is also in exceptional condition--almost new, in fact. I probably could throw this one against the wall, not that I would; I have a little more respect for my collection than that. Not a whole lot, mind you, but some.



The boxset also includes Module X1, The Isle of Dread. This one's in somewhat worse shape--most notably the interior booklet and cover are no longer stapled together. But what's really interesting is the back cover:



The edition's first chainmail bikini! Funny, I don't recall seeing Go-Go Dancer on the list of available character classes. Must be in a supplement.

The box also included a couple of mail-in forms to join the RPGA. They're in decent shape--I didn't get pictures of those because, you know, who gives a fuck?

To be honest, this one isn't nearly so entertaining a read as the Red Box. The rulebook assumes you know what they're talking about at this point and consequently becomes very dry. The book introduces plenty of higher-level spells and monsters--most of the latter manage not to embarrass themselves, apart from the devil swine (a malevolent, mind-controlling, shapeshifting...pig). It also introduces the concept of level caps for nonhuman players, an illogical solution to a problem most players weren't aware existed. I've heard many groups chose to ignore the level-cap rules entirely, which resulted in balance issues (allegedly--some of the caps seem a little low to me, especially the halfling's). Party members are allowed to build a stronghold (castle for fighters and clerics, mage's tower for magic-users, etc.) upon reaching a certain level.

Personally I'd just as soon not bother with this bit, as it effectively turns this into a completely different game. You have to pay construction costs, keep the place maintained, hire and pay a garrison, etc. I play D&D to kill monsters and steal their belongings, damn it--if I wanted to deal with that crap I'd play the Crossroad Keep section of Neverwinter Nights 2 again (which, er, I am at the moment).

The book provides a lot more info on the game world's layout, establishing it more firmly as Mystara. No mention of the Hollow World yet, partly because these sets seem to operate on a need-to-know basis (the Red Box didn't stray much beyond the outskirts of the PCs' hometown), but mostly because that setting hadn't been developed yet. Yeah. Don't know why I even brought it up, really.

ANYWAY, there's also a bunch of adventure hooks, ranging from "clear the rats out of an old lady's attic" to "expose a popular local gambler as one of those shapeshifting evil pigs". My favorite, though, would be the one with an evil--sorry, chaotic--cleric raising zombies and using them to operate a local sawmill. Because, frankly, I think sawmills are an underused tableau in Dungeons & Dragons, don't you agree?

As modules go, The Isle of Dread isn't terribly interesting--there's no final goal to be accomplished, no firmly-established reason for the party to be on the island in the first place. It's mainly a collection of possible encounters, more like a miniature campaign setting than anything else. I guess it's all right if your group's into dinosaurs, restless natives, superintelligent giant spiders and flying-squirrel people.

So, would I play D&D Basic with Expert Rules? Eh, I guess so, but I don't see when or why I would. I mean, I'd be dabbling in older editions at most--I have 4th edition if I really want to get serious about D&D. I can't really foresee playing Basic often enough to get past level 3. Again, there's nothing wrong with this boxset at all (evil pigs aside), I just don't see how it effects me.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off in search of the Go-Go Dancer Supplement.