What are the "gems" of your RPG collection?

[Dorsai]

Those hard-to-get (whether because of rarity or price or whatever) games that you finally snagged off ebay or stumbled across in a used book store or found buried in a box in the attic that you thought was lost.

Mine are:

Prince Valiant Storytelling Game (autographed by Greg Stafford)
All six original Dragon Warriors books
All five Advanced Fighting Fantasy books, including the ultra-rare Allansia
A UK printing of Mentzer Basic D&D in digest format (not quite 300 pages long).

[hellsreach]

Those hard-to-get (whether because of rarity or price or whatever) games that you finally snagged off ebay or stumbled across in a used book store or found buried in a box in the attic that you thought was lost.

Mine are:

Prince Valiant Storytelling Game (autographed by Greg Stafford)
All six original Dragon Warriors books
All five Advanced Fighting Fantasy books, including the ultra-rare Allansia
A UK printing of Mentzer Basic D&D in digest format (not quite 300 pages long).

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

[Havard]

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

OMG, is that the LUG game? :cool:

I so wanted that one...

Havard

[hellsreach]

OMG, is that the LUG game? :cool:

I so wanted that one...

Havard

Yes, it is.

[Lee Torres]

Another WEG Fan whose crown jewels include Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium. That and my first edition black box Traveller are two of the items in my collection I will not part with under any circumstances.

[skeloric]

Worlds of Wonder, utilizing Chaosium's rules as seen in Call of Cthulhu thus allowing for call of Cthulhu in fantasy, Sci-Fi or Superhero realities -- however I have never owned the Chaosium version Call of Cthulhu...
Also a classic Car Wars/Champions crossover book.
And a few other gems I can't quite recall at the moment.

[hellsreach]

What I REALLY want is a nice/near mint cover of the 1st printing Dieties and Demigods (with and Mythos/Elric entires, butwithout the Chaosium credit).

[skeloric]

What I REALLY want is a nice/near mint cover of the 1st printing Dieties and Demigods (with and Mythos/Elric entires, butwithout the Chaosium credit).

I owned a copy 25 years ago...
But I don't anymore.

[pathfinderap]

Ringworld (and Companion)
Dune
Prince Valiant
Limited Edition Hellboy
Limited Edition A Game of Thrones
Limited Edition Angel
Limited Edition Buffy (x2, one signed)
Limited Edition Aeon
Limited Edition MERP (hardback)
Deluxe Edition Star Trek (FASA)
Spycraft (signed)
Traveller 4th (signed)
Aliens RPG
Nobilis
Bushido
Privateers & Gentlemen
BESM 3rd Edition
Timeship
Time Masters
Doctor Who (FASA)
Time and Time again
Time lord (still wrapped in cling film)
C?ntinuum
Judge Dredd (Hardback, And Companion, Games Workshop)
RuneQuest 2nd Edition (Hardback)
WitchCraft (With Mystery Codex and Abomination Codex)
Armageddon
Adventure (white wolf, not d20)
Space: 1889 (Hardback)
Indiana Jones (TSR, whole line)
Justice Inc
Dark Ages, Fae
Rune
Spirit of the Century
Dragonlance SAGA (all box sets, still in cling film)
Ghostbusters
The World of Indiana Jones (x2, one Box set still in cling film)
Star Wars (all core WEG versions)

Thats some of the games that stick out,
got loads, Me being a collector and all ;)

[Stormchild]

I don't know which of my games are gems and which are just used paper. But a lot of those listed here are on my shelves too. Looks like I am more a collector than a player.

[pathfinderap]

I don't know which of my games are gems and which are just used paper. But a lot of those listed here are on my shelves too. Looks like I am more a collector than a player.

Just list the ones that give you a kick, the ones you personally value ;)

[Stormchild]

Then, it's (apart from Torg of course)
Talislanta, nearly everything starting from 1st ed, Atlantis and Primal Order (yes, I loved Wizards of the Coast before they were sold and had this huge success with magic).
Tales from the floating vagabond, Toon
Babylon 5 (Mongoose), Prime Directive, Stargate (AEG=
All Central Casting
and some German RPG (Dunarion, S?hne des Lichts, Power, Pl?sch und Plunder, Midgard 1880)

[Whill]

1.) The Star Wars Role-Playing Game (original 1987 edition). Despite having the 2nd Edition R&E game, I could never part with this "gem" even during a very destitute period of my life (when I sold off many RPGs and even my massive 80's X-Men collection to make a few bucks). This original and only copy I have ever owned is very beat-up and even has my name written in it. But it was an essential part of my childhood and I will never willingly part with it.

2.) The Star Wars Role-Playing Game, Revised and Expanded (1996). The last published edition of Star Wars D6, the core book of the best RPG in history, hands down. I still have my original copy I bought when it first came out, and I now have two extra copies I aquired used in recent years. They're all gems in my book.

3.) The Star Wars Adventure Journal - #1-15, complete set. Honestly I thought that these varied greatly in quality from issue to issue, but it seems that these are rare nowadays and most people that "collect" these don't have all of them. I bought them when they were new, and subscribed so I got most of them in the mail.

4.) I guess on that same note I can expand a "gem" to be my entire WEG Star Wars collection, soon to be complete.

5.) Just in case you're still reading this post, I'll throw in a non-Star Wars related one, GURPS Space, 4th Edition. I do not have any GURPS rule book of any edition, and may not ever get them. But this edition of this book has been completely stripped of all rules, so it really has nothing to do with GURPS. This genre toolkit book was designed to help GMs create space opera and sci-fi RPG campaigns and can be used for any RPG of those genres.

I bought an old used ratty copy of the 2nd edition GURPS Space in Half-Price Books for all the charts and such, and then after getting home and looking online I learned that a 4th edition had been published and I ordered it. Even though a small amount of the info was displayed in the old edition a little better, the 4th edition is much better overall. I just scaned a few of the pages of the 2nd edition to make a little suppliment to the 4th edition.

The 4th edition is an expanded, full-color, hardcover (240 pages). The formulas and such that it provides to design cosmic phenomena, stars, systems, planets, aliens, etc. has been updated with the latest scientific knowledge. It also helps with designing civiliations with considerations of society, cuture, politics, technology-levels, etc. This book goes into great detail.

I got this book for my Star Wars campaigns. Is this essential? No. Aren't the game's basic toolkits provided (as in the Scouts Galaxy Guide) good enough for Star Wars? Yes. Will any of these planetary system details matter too much to the players? Not likely. But I create a lot of my own systems and planets and alien civilizations, and I like having the most realism and internal consitancy possible in my campaign, because with Star Wars you already have to suspend so much disbelief as it is. Yes, I'm an astronomy nerd, and this book goes way beyond that field of study. Even though this book does not have any game mechanics, it was designed for general space RPG use, and it is definitely a gem of my collection.

[The Game Guy]

Gems in my collection:

Star Wars D6 R&E

Shattezone

D6 Space

D6 Adventure

[Whill]

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

I didn't know of this game's existence! I love Dune, and it is a big influence on my next Star Wars campaign (above and beyond its influence on George Lucas in the creation of Star Wars in the first place). But sadly I'm not going to pay those outrageous prices to get this. Now that I know about it, I still don't want this just for collectibility (even though I would take good care of it and relish it as a gem as if I ever did aquire it). I mainly want this to serve as info/inspiration for my Star Wars game. But it's not too bloody likely that anyone will ever sell this for a more reasonable amount of money. Even though I just found out about this game today, I am very jealous of those of you who have it. Bravo to you though!


What I REALLY want is a nice/near mint cover of the 1st printing Dieties and Demigods (with and Mythos/Elric entires, butwithout the Chaosium credit).

The childhood friend of mine who introduced me to D&D had one of the versions with the Chuthlu Mythos and I looked at it, but I don't know if it had the disclaimer or not (I was in 4th grade). I would be happy to get any of the printings with the Mythos in decent condition. But I've had the first Legends & Lore printing since it first came out, and it's still in great condition. It's rocking the awesome painting of Odin in all his glory on the front.


Indiana Jones (TSR, whole line)
Ghostbusters
The World of Indiana Jones (x2, one Box set still in cling film)

I would like to get the original edition of the Ghostbusters RPG for collector's purposes, being the the first D6 game and predecessor to my beloved Star Wars D6. But I've read that Ghostbusters 1E is very rare. Another pipe dream, I'm sure.

I used to have TSR's Indiana Jones, but got rid of it a long time ago. I'm interested in getting the Masterbook/D6 Indy stuff though.

[Grimace]

I think the best gems I have in my collection is all 15 Star Wars Adventure Journals that were published.

And I guess, technically, I could say I've got another gem even though I don't necessarily consider it as such. I've got the 1st printing Dieties & Demigods. :)

[Cryonic]

I got all of the SW AJs in my collection here. Took a bit of doing to get the last few due to the fact that WEG never sent them to me before they went belly up (I was a subscriber to the journal).

I also have an entire 4' shelf devoted to Shadowrun (mostly 2nd - 4th ed with a bit of 1st which I was introduced to ages ago).

[pathfinderap]

Man, I forgot QIN

;)

[ngarrang]

Tales from the Floating Vagabond. Never has reading a rule book made me laugh so much. If I had the money, I would buy the rights to the product and republish all of it for PDF purchase. And then begin offering new product for it.

TFTFV would convert well to D6. And you would get some laughs if you kept the skill names from the TFTFV book.


Okay, roll against Sharp Pointy Thing with Pinache with a d10 and let me know if you made it.

[The Game Guy]

Tales from the Floating Vagabond. Never has reading a rule book made me laugh so much. If I had the money, I would buy the rights to the product and republish all of it for PDF purchase. And then begin offering new product for it.

TFTFV would convert well to D6. And you would get some laughs if you kept the skill names from the TFTFV book.

Okay, roll against Sharp Pointy Thing with Pinache with a d10 and let me know if you made it.


I had that game at one point and I was never sure if the rules actually worked or not.

As for buying the rights, I could have sworn I heard that the author was trying to get in republished again (not sure if it's just the original rules or an updated version) but I have to imagine the rights can't be worth too much.

[Stormchild]

They work, if you don't take them too serious. And use the shticks. On cons I even give 2 shticks per player. I played with a player who actually used the Rogers/Hamerstein shtick and we all ended singing a combat situation - while we where not laughing that is.
The adventures are even better than the rulebook. They belong to the best-worked-out adventures in roleplaying history and they are full of crazy ideas too.

[hellsreach]

Actually, I forgot another gem, if only due to rarity. My Omni Games copy of Infiniverse magazine.

[The Game Guy]

They work, if you don't take them too serious. And use the shticks. On cons I even give 2 shticks per player. I played with a player who actually used the Rogers/Hamerstein shtick and we all ended singing a combat situation - while we where not laughing that is.
The adventures are even better than the rulebook. They belong to the best-worked-out adventures in roleplaying history and they are full of crazy ideas too.

Hmm Maybe you should see if you could get ahold of the rights. As I said that was published awhile ago so I doubt the rights would cost too much.

[hellsreach]

edit to erase

[pathfinderap]

They work, if you don't take them too serious. And use the shticks. On cons I even give 2 shticks per player. I played with a player who actually used the Rogers/Hamerstein shtick and we all ended singing a combat situation - while we where not laughing that is.
The adventures are even better than the rulebook. They belong to the best-worked-out adventures in roleplaying history and they are full of crazy ideas too.

Sounds cool, I'll have to try tracking down a copy, :)

[The Game Guy]

Sounds cool, I'll have to try tracking down a copy, :)

Makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of the copy i had.

[masque]

I collect and play, although since my work schedule is wonky, I don't get to play as much as I'd like, and for years, I spent more time collecting as the only opportunity I had to game was at conventions.

Anyway, here's my gems, both collectible and sentimental:

Deluxe Edition MERP Hardcover (2nd edition) (several supplements as well)

Call of Cthulhu 20th Anniversary edition Hardcover (fake green leather)

Complete set of In Nomine

Almost complete set of Unknown Armies

Complete set of Witchcraft

Almost complete set of AFMBE

Complete set of 15 Star Wars Adventure Journals, and almost complete set of WEG Star Wars, 2E (and 2ER). I don't have every book, but at this point I think I have all the ones that I really want, which is a majority of them.

Almost complete set of Conspiracy X 1.0, the only book I'm missing is the 2nd Bodyguard of Lies book, Mokole.

Complete set of (in print, not e23) GURPS 4E, and almost everything I want from GURPS 3E, including complete sets of Transhuman Space and WWII. This is the easiest for me, as I'm part of SJG's demo team, the Men in Black, and we get comped in product. I have a crapload of the their non-RPG games as well, Deluxe Illuminati and it's supplements probably being my favorite.

Incomplete but growing collection of Trinity.

First editions of HoL and it's supplement, Buttery Wholesomeness, a little beat up, but I bought them new.

Almost complete set of Godlike.

These two are my luckiest finds:
Myrmidon Press Armageddon Hardcover with autographs and original sketches by the artists inside (including James O'Barr): I ordered this off of eBay, just because I couldn't find a copy of the later Eden Studios edition of Armageddon, and found the autographs and sketches when it arrived. They weren't mentioned in the listing, so that was a nice surprise.

GURPS Traveller Limited Numbered Edition Hardcover: I acquired this at a con last year, from a box that the dealer told me had everything at half cover price. Not only was it in pristine condition, but I didn't discover it was a numbered edition until after I paid only $20 for it. It's also autographed by Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman, and Steve Jackson. When I showed it to my buddies, they were like "You win at the Dealer's Room."

[bass]

It has taken me about three years of searching, but I now have the whole Wraith the Oblivion series. From the Wraith LARP book to Faces of Death, I've got them all. And those books, plus my complete collection of the Witchcraft series, are the highlights of my collection. I have recently gotten rid of almost everything else.

[Samaritan]

Hmm... I guess it depends on how you define 'gem'. :)

I've got Mutants & Masterminds, 1st edition. This wouldn't normally be noteworthy, I suppose, but it lasted through Iraq with me, and I got it signed (graciously enough, by mail) by Steve Kenson.

I've got the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, as well as a copy of "In Search of Adventure", a compilation of the B-series of modules.

I've got "Adventure!" (Storyteller version), and several Star Wars d6 books. Also, the entire run of Street Fighter (by White Wolf). :)

Oh, and the 'limited run' of Wild Talents, and a Black Industries-imprint of the Dark Heresy RPG (if that counts).

[The Game Guy]

Almost complete set of Unknown Armies

Really like Unknown Armies but I am not sure I could find people to play it


Almost complete set of AFMBE

Really dig AFMBE and have had a ball running it.


First editions of HoL and it's supplement, Buttery Wholesomeness, a little beat up, but I bought them new.

Actually saw a copy in my FLGS. almost bought it but after reading it it doesnt seem really playable.

[pathfinderap]

Really dig AFMBE and have had a ball running it.

Hard not to, its dirt simple and with a fun premise,

[masque]

(Regarding HoL)
Actually saw a copy in my FLGS. almost bought it but after reading it it doesnt seem really playable.
I don't know that it's really designed to be playable, but it's a hilarious book to read. (I know people who have played it, but it involved a lot of GM fiat.) The supplement is great for the sheer ridiculousness of the random character generation system.

[Samaritan]

Ah, there's one other 'gem' I forgot to mention... the entire run of the Robotech RPG from Palladium (not the newer books).

My parents gave them to me for Christmas, when I was 12. My dad had said that they went to like 3 different stores to find them, since I seemed to really like them (I had picked up the core RPG book, and the RDF manual on my own).

I keep them, kind of an odd memorial to my father. :)

[The Game Guy]

Hard not to, its dirt simple and with a fun premise,

Yeah, that is true. It's hard to go wrong with a zombie horror suvivor game.

[The Game Guy]

I don't know that it's really designed to be playable, but it's a hilarious book to read. (I know people who have played it, but it involved a lot of GM fiat.) The supplement is great for the sheer ridiculousness of the random character generation system.

That sounds cool, though these days I am careful to only buy the games I will play. I get rid of the games that just will not be played. Trying to keep my collection trimed down to only what I use.

[pathfinderap]

Yeah, that is true. It's hard to go wrong with a zombie horror suvivor game.

Yeah, you've got to invite me to one of your games ;)

[skeloric]

AFMBE is just spectacular, the system is so "dirt simple" as you say that I've heard of people playing it even without zombies.

I own Human Occupied Landfill and Buttery Wholesomeness and find them a riot.
I read the books as if it weren't an RPG, but rather a scathing satire of RPG design; which is more to the truth of what its about.

[Rerun941]

Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space

A quite rare supplement/update to the old Star Frontiers game setting. A friend of mine got it for me back in high school (late 80s) and I saw it on the shelf in a game store for sale for $75 in the mid 90s.

[pathfinderap]

Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space

A quite rare supplement/update to the old Star Frontiers game setting. A friend of mine got it for me back in high school (late 80s) and I saw it on the shelf in a game store for sale for $75 in the mid 90s.

I was looking for a copy of that book, I picked up Star Frontiers, 2001 and 2010 mint con, and thought it would help the game,

But I'm sure theres a site you can download this as a PDF,

[Cryonic]

I was looking for a copy of that book, I picked up Star Frontiers, 2001 and 2010 mint con, and thought it would help the game,

But I'm sure theres a site you can download this as a PDF,

http://www.starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered <-- Star Frontiers books in PDF format.

[Xynar]

My gems include a Free RPG Day Septimus copy, Pirates of Darkwater RPG, Children of the Sun RPG, Margeret Weiss signed copy (and complete set) of Soverign Stone (1st ed I think, not d20), City of Heroes Introductory Adventure and Ruleset (ran at GenCon '05), and a copy of every Technical Readout for BattleTech (old and new). I also have every copy of the Star Wars Adventure Journal and about 100 more WEG SW RPG books.

[The Game Guy]

http://www.starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered <-- Star Frontiers books in PDF format.

That's great to know about. I love Star Frontiers (well I am a sci-fi buff).

[cheshire]

I'd have to say that my gems aren't really the rarest books, but they're rare enough for what I play.

I snagged a Star Wars Stock Ships in near mint condition for a great price.

I also have a Hideouts and Strongholds in superb condition for only $5.00. I've seen it go for over $100 on eBay (though not very often for that high price), and several collectors are selling it for $60-$80. I'm just glad I found someone who was unwise enough to post an item on eBay that ended near midnight on New Year's eve.

[The Game Guy]

I snagged a Star Wars Stock Ships in near mint condition for a great price.

I also have a Hideouts and Strongholds in superb condition for only $5.00. I've seen it go for over $100 on eBay (though not very often for that high price), and several collectors are selling it for $60-$80. I'm just glad I found someone who was unwise enough to post an item on eBay that ended near midnight on New Year's eve.

These sound like great books and I am looking for some good SW books. Can you tell me a little something about them?

[cheshire]

Sure. Stock Ships contains about 10-16 different kinds of freighters and yachts. For each one it contains a write up on the history, a complete set of deckplans, and then a specific modified version of the ship along with that ship's history and plot hooks. It's one of the more sought after SW books.

Hideouts and Strongholds is more collector's than GM's book, IMO, but I'm in the miniority. It's a setting book about bases. It first contains rules on base engineering and construction in case you want your players to have their very own secret fortress that they call a base of operations. Then it has a few settings complete with maps, NPCs, settings, and adventure hooks. My wife used it quite a bit when she was GMing, and I've used it occasionally. My wife thought it was a Godsend.

There's a copy that I would guess that's going to go cheap on eBay. (As in cheap, I expect it will be less than $30.00.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/HIDEOUTS-STRONGHOLDS-STAR-WARS-RPG-WEST-END-GAMES_W0QQitemZ310096423354QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_T oys_RolePlaying_RL?hash=item310096423354&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

It's international, though.

[The Game Guy]

Hey Chesire, thanks for pointing that out. I am currently the highest bidder ($17 US).

We will see if I win

[cheshire]

Let me know if you win. I'll be rooting for you. :)

[Whill]

Hey Chesire, thanks for pointing that out. I am currently the highest bidder ($17 US).

We will see if I win

Good luck!

[Roger Calver]

Traveller 1248 books, Out of the Darkness & Bearers of the Flame both of which are the first copies printed and both signed by the author.

What makes them more special is that at the time I brought them I didnt work for Avenger !, just lucky I guess.

[Temprus]

I have a copy of every book that could be referenced with the (current?) D6 License and a copy of every released book by the official D6 licensees except the revised D6 Powers. :D I have 3 Torg d20s. I have a copy of all of the English Torg/D6 card decks (even a French Torg deck).

The one book I really want is the Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium . :mad: ;) Dune would be my "dream" D6 license.

[darkpaladin45]

The Gems of my collection...


Palladium Fantasy 2nd edition - I used to be into Palladium games so much that my friends took to calling me the palladiumjunkie(which is my name on the palladium boards). This thing is dirty and worn from use, but I would never part with it.
Palladium Fantasy Eastern Territories - Steve Edwards is one of my best friends, and I helped with some playtesting when he was writing this book. It has a pretty cool cover too.
Star Wars D6 books - Pretty much all of them. :)
Mutants and Masterminds 2nd edition I picked it up at Gencon when it was released in '05. It was the first copy that they pulled out of the box while they were setting up, and Steve Kenson signed it for me.
Dawning Star - extremely cool setting


-Chris

[Whill]

I have a copy of every book that could be referenced with the (current?) D6 License and a copy of every released book by the official D6 licensees except the revised D6 Powers. :D .

Impressive. The Revised D6 Powers is cool. You should get it.


The one book I really want is the Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium . :mad: ;) Dune would be my "dream" D6 license.

That is the dream of us all, my friend. :cool:

[Emperor Xan]

If I had to choose one book in my collection, it would have to be my beat-up copy of the Rules Cyclopedia.

[skeloric]

If I had to choose one book in my collection, it would have to be my beat-up copy of the Rules Cyclopedia.

Old Skool "D&D" back when there was an AD&D, oh hell yeah.
I lurves my copy.

[Dasharr]

In no particular order:

TSR Silver Anniversary Box Set (Limited Edition) - I think this was the last thing ever published under the TSR banner (certainly one of the last).

In Search of Adventure (B1-9) - a compilation of the B-series D&D modules. I got this very cheap in TSR UK's mail-order closing down sale, and learned a lot about GMing from reading and using it.

Call of Cthulhu Leather-Bound Anniversary Limited Edition.

Star Wars:
Lords of the Expanse Box Set - I passed on buying this first time round, got it later as a lucky find in an FLGS.
Revised & Expanded rules - a lovely book and probably the best version of the rules.
Tales of the Jedi - very very useful with it's Force power compendium, and apparently quite rare now.
Star Wars Adventure Journal - I got issues 1-14 when they came out; having not checked online, I didn't even realise there was an issue 15 till I stumbled across it in an FLGS. That was probably my luckiest RPG find.

The Magnamund Companion - not actually an RPG book, but I bought it for reference use with the Lone Wolf RPG.

My #1 choice:
The Dragon Magazine Archive CD-ROM - PDFs of all seven issues of The Strategic Review and issues 1-250 of Dragon magazine. Quite rare now. I recently went to look this out and couldn't find it; I thought I'd lost it and I was gutted. I found it though, and I've now ripped all the PDFs to my hard drive. :)

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention:
Encyclopedia Magica Vols I-IV - another late-TSR product, this was a 4-volume collection of all magical items ever published for D&D and AD&D by TSR (including ones in Dragon magazine). I have the full set of the first printings, the ones with the faux-leather covers with relief details, and bookmark-ribbons attached to the spines. These books were (in)famous because, apparently, TSR screwed up and made a loss on each book sold; each one cost more to produce than TSR made from the sale. Later printings were therefore cheaper-made, with flat paperback covers and no ribbons.

[Viriatha]

The Original Temple of Elemental Evil, complete with original unmarked maps.

Land of the Free Cyberpunk 2020 Boxed Set.

More Cyberpunk 2020 books than I can count easily.

[imported_Magman]

Well it isn't really any gems of mine, but I have a friend who plays the Champions/heroes system (Not sure which it is called now days) but he has every piece of material to come out for the game since day one. Whether it be a collectors piece, source manual, game screen, whatever. He has it. Literally hundreds of books for that game system. Takes up an entire bookcase just for that game alone. Each month 2 - 3 books seem to get released and he is right there to pick it up.

He actually test plays for I believe the owner of the company who is based here in NYC.

Well I find his overall collection a Gem. Not any particular book, though I believe he has a leather bound book costing well over $100 that they released a year or two ago. Only made like 300 of these. That book was impressive in itself, but was dwarfed by his collection in general.

[BigKyle]

For me :

- the original, yellow box, Marvel Super Heroes Basic set RPG (FASERIP system) that I bought like a million years ago.

- Tales of the Jedi Companion that I found in almost pristine condition in a remote used bookstore that had no idea what that book was all about and sold it for 5$.

- french edition of the Star Wars 2nd edition R&E rulebook without a single crease on the spine; at my FLGS I got it for 6$.

[skeloric]

I guess as far as "gems" go, I have a criteria I follow to determine a book's quality.
It is simple enough to use as a general benchmark just at a store shelf.

1. Product must actually exist on store shelves.
Not as a PDF which I could have bound by HULU or whatev, but as an actual product on shelves.
This alone weeds out nearly 99% of all the worthless crap put out by the industry these days.

2. Does not utilize classes or levels or "random rolling" character generation.
(D&D and Palladium system get tossed aside, right about here.)

3. Does not use a D4 anywhere in its system.
(Why, Savage Worlds, WHY???)

4. Character creation should be explainable to a 5 year old, by then I might just be able to understand it.
I sure as heck should not think about how much I'd prefer plugging numbers into some special computer program or thinking that a computer game version might be a better way to play.
(Mostly as I think upon D&D and also Hero System. FATAL comes to mind as well, but FATAL fails on almost all of these.)

5. No complex formula or bizarre embedded sub-stats that hose up the math or have me thinking fondly of beating my head into the wall.
(Hero System, I'm looking at you with your 6 sub-stats. GURPS ALMOST gets zinged on it for HP and Fatigue but not quite.)

6. System should look as if it is seriously attempting to define human characteristics and should not try to sell me vague "Power Pools" from which I supposedly determine what is possible.

7. System should also be defined and robust enough to do multiple genres without making it all look the same. (This isn't vital but it is a selling point for me.)

8. Finally, I for damn sure should not think that I could spend 30 minutes of effort to create a better system, because I have already done so once and it probably was.
(This is the one that breaks most RPGs just as they think they've won.)


I dunno if there are more than 3 currently published RPGs that even meet this criteria -- GURPS, AFMBE, D6

TOON fits all of this but I have no clue if it still in print.

TORG kind of stumbles on 5 and 6 depending but I'll try to manage when it returns.
If it stumbles on #1 then I can assure that I'll just stick with the one I've got.

[Cryonic]

Well it isn't really any gems of mine, but I have a friend who plays the Champions/heroes system (Not sure which it is called now days)

It was Champions, but now it is the HERO System and Champions is just one Genre book for the system (along with Fantasy, Star Hero, etc...).


He actually test plays for I believe the owner of the company who is based here in NYC.

Well I find his overall collection a Gem. Not any particular book, though I believe he has a leather bound book costing well over $100 that they released a year or two ago. Only made like 300 of these. That book was impressive in itself, but was dwarfed by his collection in general.

Yeah, I gamed with some HEROphiles. They made my Shadowrun collection look pitiful, but then quite a few of the HERO system books seem to be reworkings of old material in a new form. E.g. The Character Creation Handbook was just a conglomeration of the ideas and rules laid out in Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, the Combat book, etc...

[Whill]

I got my Tales of the Jedi Companion that cheap too (and mint).


- french edition of the Star Wars 2nd edition R&E rulebook without a single crease on the spine; at my FLGS I got it for 6$.

Score!

[Shadowsfate]

I was a long time collector of RPGs (I rarely buy anything new anymore, since I don't play anymore, and have only just started running an RPG again earlier this year for the first time in many many years) so I still have quite a few games in my library. But only a few do I consider real gems (for me at least):

Realm of Chaos - Slaves to Darkness From everything I've read aboutt his book, it is fairly rare. I've seen this book or the compaion book (Realm of Chaos - The Lost and The Damned) on eBay a few times, usually going for at least $200. And all it cost me was a trip to an out of the way used bookstore (and I had only planned on going to browse) and $10.

A nearly complete set of Torg. The only thing that I'm missing, as far as I know, is the Revised and Expanded Rulebook.

Slaine D20 because my group (at the time) is credited for plytesting (and 2 members were credited for additional text because of the spell that each devised)

[Temprus]

A nearly complete set of Torg. The only thing that I'm missing, as far as I know, is the Revised and Expanded Rulebook.

french edition of the Star Wars 2nd edition R&E rulebook without a single crease on the spine; at my FLGS I got it for 6$.
I can top those two, I have a intact copy of the French version of Torg! ;) Which means I also have 3 Torg d20s! Eric probably has a crate of those, so maybe having three is not that special. :D

[skeloric]

Which means I also have 3 Torg d20s! Eric probably has a crate of those, so maybe having three is not that special. :D
I have never had nor seen one, I bought both my copies used in about 92 or so.

[Emperor Xan]

Well, it's possibly one of the worse games - not as bad as Fatal, mind you, but still pretty bad - but I still keep it anyway: Cyborg Commando. I keep it around to remind me what not to do as well as for the laugh it gives.

[Temprus]

I have never had nor seen one, I bought both my copies used in about 92 or so.I bought Torg when it came out and had either all or almost all of the books before I had some life changing moments but the d20 that came in the main set stayed with me during those wonderful times. I did not realize/remember it was from Torg until we talked about it on the other forum (or even at rpg.net). I then bought English and French boxed set much more recently. If I get all seven, I can summon the Hellsreach and make a wish! ;)

[HoracePeabody]

Escape from Westerville State
Geriatric Wars
Alma Mater
Booty and the Beasts
MERC - Rhodesia Campaign Book
Nova Force (indie 80's game dedicated to Sid Vicious)
Bakshi's Wizards
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

[The Game Guy]

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

How is Cadillacs and Dinosaurs as a rpg? I really liked the video game?

[hellsreach]

Which means I also have 3 Torg d20s! Eric probably has a crate of those, so maybe having three is not that special. :D

Interestingly enough, no. I have only one. In fact, when I bought WEG and got a lot of old material with it, the only thing I definitely did not get was a Torg D20. Prior to the Torg R&E rulebook being published, I often made comments about the irony of NOT having one. At a GenCon a fan came by the booth while I was on a break and give me a Torg D20, to wit we gave him a Torg R&E rulebook.

Very worth it on my part.

[Whill]

Since I played the game so long ago, I don't remember the TORG d20. What's different about it?

[Temprus]

Since I played the game so long ago, I don't remember the TORG d20. What's different about it?

Here are my Three Torg Dice:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x4iY3Vz52gs/Sa9hlhyeCaI/AAAAAAAAADk/xH4iBwOrh4c/s400/Torg+d20s.jpg

The left one is from my original set from when it first came out, the middle one is from a set made just before it was discontinued, the right one is from the French version.

[The Game Guy]

Interestingly enough, no. I have only one. In fact, when I bought WEG and got a lot of old material with it, the only thing I definitely did not get was a Torg D20. Prior to the Torg R&E rulebook being published, I often made comments about the irony of NOT having one. At a GenCon a fan came by the booth while I was on a break and give me a Torg D20, to wit we gave him a Torg R&E rulebook.

Very worth it on my part.

That's funny, because with all the stock Humaniods dumped on your lap when you bought the company, you would think there would have been some Torg D20's in there somewhere (even in some of the box sets).

[Whill]

Here are my Three Torg Dice:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x4iY3Vz52gs/Sa9hlhyeCaI/AAAAAAAAADk/xH4iBwOrh4c/s400/Torg+d20s.jpg

The left one is from my original set from when it first came out, the middle one is from a set made just before it was discontinued, the right one is from the French version.

Thanks. So it seems that the only difference is specific style/appearance. The one on the right seems common, individually or as part of a set. I saw the blue/red d20s at my local FLGS this weekend, but not individually. There were part of 7-dice sets (d4-d20 with an extra "10's" digit d10 to use with the normal d10 to accompish %). They had that blue-red color scheme plus many other 2-color variations of the same style. I think those blue-red ones look cool and I considered gettting that one, but I ended up buying a blue-purple set with goldish numbers.

[The Game Guy]

They look cool. So basically they are general D20's with a neat pattern (or that is what I am getting from the pictures).

[Temprus]

Yeap, blue/red "marble" pattern, the French one looks like they used the wrong blue or a bad mix of it as it is almost black. Weird thing is, the original one was the only one of my main dice I could not tell you where I got it from (well, until I saw that old thread).

[The Confessor]

A personal gem of my collection is Nobilis. I managed to find a hard-cover coffee table style copy of it at an FLGS for under $40. It's an obscure game that I'd only seen once before by a friend who ran it and I snatched it as soon as I saw it.

Other personal gems include Castle Falkenstein (original, not GURPS), 50 or so D6 SW RPG books, Underworld, Changeling: The Dreaming (3 core books, plus almost the whole run of the game), and Dark Ages: Fae.

[hellsreach]

They look cool. So basically they are general D20's with a neat pattern (or that is what I am getting from the pictures).

Interestingly, they were one of the first marbled dice produced, or so I'm told.

[The Game Guy]

Interestingly, they were one of the first marbled dice produced, or so I'm told.

Well they look cool. I wish I could get my hands on one or two of them.

I am guessing it wouldn't be worth it to WEG to make new Torg D20s for when the new version of TORG comes out.

[Whill]

I really like those blue-red d20s. They are way cool.


I am guessing it wouldn't be worth it to WEG to make new Torg D20s for when the new version of TORG comes out.

They probably were the first d20s of that style back then. But WEG wouldn't have to specifically make them, because nowadays they are readily available. I saw the blue-red dice and a wide variety of other similar styles and colors at my local FLGS last weekend, and I considered buying that set.

This is an scan of 3 of the dice from the 7-dice set I ended up buying. Except for the bottom face I know they are a little blury but you get the idea. They are more of a speckled style, but I liked the color scheme best.

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/e254411b8da89107861804854ff5cd8c4g.jpg

[hellsreach]

If I did have Torg dice specially produced, which is unlikely to happen, I'd love to see clear dice filled with iridescent blue and red threads. No idea how it would look, but might be interesting.

[Whill]

If I did have Torg dice specially produced, which is unlikely to happen, I'd love to see clear dice filled with iridescent blue and red threads. No idea how it would look, but might be interesting.

I saw ones that may be similar to what you are thinking of, except that they were foggy clear not clear clear. And the colors inside were maybe not so iridescent. But what you describe sounds like it would look cooler.

[Temprus]

Well they look cool. I wish I could get my hands on one or two of them.

I am guessing it wouldn't be worth it to WEG to make new Torg D20s for when the new version of TORG comes out.
After I find out if I am moving or not (and move if I have to), I might be able to arrange for you to get one. :D

[The Game Guy]

After I find out if I am moving or not (and move if I have to), I might be able to arrange for you to get one. :D

Cool, please let me know. I really would like to get my hands on one.

[Son of Fire]

Let's see...
Obviously all my D6 stuff... the core books, Star Wars, and Metabarons...

I am also fond of my leather bound copy of Mage, and for some reason I dig a diceless game I was given called Everway. Oh, and my Kult books.

[harmyn]

....I am also fond of my leather bound copy of Mage, and for some reason I dig a diceless game I was given called Everway. Oh, and my Kult books.

Your leatherbound book of Mage just reminded me. One of my prize collections is the White "Angel Edition" Hardback of In Nomine. It has been used much, but is still in good condition. That is the rare game book that I own.

[The Game Guy]

Question: Do these Torg die come in the boxed set or were they something you needed to get ahold of seperate from buying the box set?

[Hisham]

I think my most treasured book is GURPS Goblins. Outstanding book with fantastic production values. Either full-color or two-color pages throughout, and one messed-up but comedic setting. Even the character creation rules made me laugh.

[skeloric]

My Gems are quickly becoming my sudden influx of GURPS 4th edition I've been getting on eBay with money from my book sales.
Infinite Worlds is awesome and has a TORG reference in the bibiliography!!!

Page 238:

Gorden, Greg TORG (West End Games, 1990).
Clashing realities duel for Earth! Intriguing and original.

The fact that I've created a mock Europe for my game world and so far most of my books are useful immediately with a few others useful in the future just makes this all the better.

[hellsreach]

Question: Do these Torg die come in the boxed set or were they something you needed to get ahold of seperate from buying the box set?

They cam with the early prints of the boxed set. Later print runs had a D20, but not the "Torg" D20.

[The Game Guy]

They cam with the early prints of the boxed set. Later print runs had a D20, but not the "Torg" D20.

How do you know what is an earlier print of the box set and a later print of the box set? I take it the couple box sets you have left over are later prints.

[hellsreach]

How do you know what is an earlier print of the box set and a later print of the box set? I take it the couple box sets you have left over are later prints.

I'm honestly not sure what or if there were any noticeable differences on the box and yes, the very few I have are later editions.

[The Game Guy]

I'm honestly not sure what or if there were any noticeable differences on the box and yes, the very few I have are later editions.

Damn, then there would be no reason to rip open the boxes to try to score myself a wild die.

[Mike Taylor]

Hmm let's see:

Beyond the Supernatural 1st Edition by Palladium Books
WitchCraft & Armageddon by Eden Studios
Heavy Gear 1st Edition by Dream Pod Nine
The Keep on the Borderlands module for the old D&D boxed games
The Shady Dragon Inn supplement for D&D, complete with stats for Melf, Strongheart, Warduke, and the other action figure heroes and villains

[Whill]

What I REALLY want is a nice/near mint cover of the 1st printing Dieties and Demigods (with and Mythos/Elric entires, butwithout the Chaosium credit).


I've got the 1st printing Dieties & Demigods. :)

4

It's not quite in near-mint condition, but I just found a rare 1st printing AD&D 1E Dieties & Demigods (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deities_and_demigods) at one of my local Half-Price stores for only $7.00! Cthulhu Mythos and Elric pantheons included, with no Chaosium credit. I love Half-Price Books! Despite now having this, I'm still keeping my near-mint Legends & Lore version (6th printing of the 1st edition) with all the same info minus the two pantheons, just for the awesome painting of Lord Odin on the cover alone.

5 6

[Rosencrantz]

My gems:

Everything Ninth Level Games ever released for Kobolds Ate my Baby.

A complete set of Last Unicorn Game's Star Trek RPG

Things I had until a big, bad flood destroyed them:

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium
The complete Fading Suns (pre-d20)
The first edition of Little Nightmares

[redwulfe]

To me its my first edition hardbound Shadowrun book, my collection of WEG star wars books, and my collection of MERP books.

Red

[Whill]

Since my first post was incomplete and now over ayear ago, I'll update it here...

1. For nostalgia, my original box set of D&D Basic game, including the original box, yellow dice set, and the module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands (the first RPG adventure I ever played before getting the game myself).

2. The 1st printing of the AD&D 1E Dieties and Demigods, and for nostalgia reasons my original version also (later prinitng with cooler cover), both mentioned above. Since my childhood I have been fascinated by ancient mythologies.

3. Paranoia (1E) box set in good condition with all components, and for nostalgia a copy of the 2E rulebook thrown in (not my original copy that I played with though). Paranoia 1E is the first RPG ever published by WEG.

3. Ghostbusters (1E) box set in near-mint condition, complete with all punch-outs still intact on the sheets (never punched out) and the Ghost Die. The "proto-D6" game co-created by Chaosium.

4. All D6 RPG games (except Ghostbusters 2E). This includes the entire WEG Star Wars line (which includes complete set of Adventure Journals). The most important gems out of my Star Wars collection are my original copy of The Star Wars Role-Playing Game (original 1987 first edition) and my all-time favorite published RPG to this day, The Star Wars Role-Playing Game, Revised and Expanded (1996) in glossy full-color.

5.GURPS Space, 4th Edition. A non-game-system-specific setting-building supplement in glossy full-color. Useful for any sci-fi game. The science nerd in me classifies this a gem.

[RocketDad]

Original Sormbringer By Choasium, and the AD&D Big Three 1st Edition hardbacks are my oldest (the D&Ds still have Toys R Us).

[RocketDad]

(which includes complete set of Adventure Journals)

I hate you Whill. I want you to know that. :)

[Flagwaver]

Let's see... I have a Red Box with the original blue dice (never even rubbed the crayon in to darken the numbers).

My SWRPG collection which includes 2nd Ed. Rev&Exp., Endgame (2 copies), Jedi Academy Sourcebook (Hard), Platt's Starport Guide, Alliance Intelligence Reports, 2nd Ed. Gamemaster Handbook, Imperial Entanglements, Best of Adventure Journal 1-4, Cracken's Threat Dossier, Starships of the Galaxy, Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters, Secrets of the Sisar Run, Imperial Double-Sross, and Tales of the Jedi Companion (hard).

And the crown jewels of my collection...

All 15 Star Wars Adventure Journal ever produced... the printed advanced reader copy of #16 (printed) and the initial layout print for #17 (full color except for the covers which are b/w).

Oh, and all of the ones with stories by Tim Zahn are signed (he lives locally and loves 501st honor guards).

[Whill]

I hate you Whill. I want you to know that. :)


All 15 Star Wars Adventure Journal ever produced... the printed advanced reader copy of #16 (printed) and the initial layout print for #17 (full color except for the covers which are b/w).

Oh, and all of the ones with stories by Tim Zahn are signed (he lives locally and loves 501st honor guards).

There ya are Rocket. Someone to hate more than me! :)

[RocketDad]

Ahhhh! Let's get 'em Whill! He'll be no match for the poer of the Force and my Panda style!

[RoloGutwein]

What I am 'proudest' of in my gaming collection is the fact that I have just about every Star Wars D6 product that came out- including all of the adventure journals. It took me a while to finally get them all. I also- by pure accident- was able to get that rare Dieties & Demigods with Cthulu and Elric. It was for sale at a local used book shop- there were several on the shelf, I picked one at random. All the others (it turns out) were the edited versions.