Dungeons & Dragons (1975)--White Box, 4th print

tfm · Last edited by tfm on Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:52 am; edited 2 times in total

Title: Dungeons & Dragons
Item Code: n/a
Type: Rules for the original Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing system
Copyright: 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Fourth Printing November 1975
Author(s): Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
Artwork: Keenan Powell, Greg Bell, C. Corey, D. Arneson, and T. Keogh
Cartography: n/a
Place of Publication: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States
Printer: Patch Press Inc., Beloit
Format: white box containing three softcover booklets, and 20 page (5 sheet) reference booklet, stapled
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: $10.00
Mass: 302g
Dimensions: box: length 23cm, width 15.3cm, thickness 4cm (label printed on left side of box)
Volume 1: length 21cm, width 13.9cm, thickness .3cm
Volume 2: length 21cm, width 13.9cm, thickness .3cm
Volume 3: length 21cm, width 13.6cm, thickness .3cm

Additional images:

Bottom

Side (left)

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Reference booklet (front)

Staple pattern

Staple pattern Monster & Treasure

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Obviously different from the woodgrain editions, this fourth printing sports a white box and a Men & Magic with new cover art. The reference sheets now come stapled and folded with an integrated errata sheet. The content of the booklets appears the same, although Men & Magic has a TSR Hobbies address label posted over the old Tactical Studies Rules address. The GK logo on the errata page has been replaced with the lizard logo. The center staple, which only appears in Monsters & Treasure, pierces pages 15-26 only.

If treated as a booklet, the Reference Sheets read as follows across the tops:

page 1 Correction Sheet
page 2 Miscellaneous Weapons
page 3 Statistics Regarding Classes
page 4 Attack Matrix 1
page 5 Referee's Map
page 6 Monster Determination and Level of Monster Matrix
page 7 Die Lycanthropes Swimmer Types Dragon Types
page 8 Spells Table (Magic Users)
page 9 Monster Reference, Continued
page 10 Treasure Types
page 11 3Pirates will have prisoners as do Bandits
page 12 The Monsters
page 13 Spells Table (Clerics)
page 14 Wilderness Wandering Monsters
page 15 5 Die 6 Die
page 16 Fighting Men with castles
page 17 Saving Throw Matrix
page 18 Basic Equipment and Costs
page 19 Die Roll Curse: (Range 3" diameter)
page 20 48-52 Boots of Speed

If using the first print brown box as a guide,

Reference Sheet #4 has become the wrap-around cover (pages 2, 19, and 20, with errata as cover);
Reference Sheet #3 has become pages 3, 4, 17, and 18;
Reference Sheet #1 has become pages 5, 6, 15, and 16;
Reference Sheets #5 and #6 have become pages 7, 8, 13, and 14
Reference Sheet #2 has become pages 9, 10, 11, and 12

cgould42 · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:13 am Post subject:

4th print information:

My 4th print boxed set matches TFM’s first entry with the following exceptions:

Exceptions –

• Box side left - The “FANTASY GAME RULES” and the GK logo match the dark (almost black) print color on the front cover. The almost green color on TFM’s copy is perhaps sun damage?

• The correction/reference sheets match but they are not stapled.

• My copy of volume two has 3 staples. All look identical and professionally done. The upper and lower staples do not puncture the central page of the book (page 19,20,21,22). Only the central staple holds it in. It is as if the book was put together and then the final page was added. Of course it could be a production fluke. Does anyone else have a similar copy?

Cheers,
Curt

tfm · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:36 am Post subject:

My M&T has three staples also, but in a slightly different way. I've updated the entry to include the new information.
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Mars · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

The booklets of my 4th print match with tfm - book 2 has a 3rd staple through pages 15-26 and the misprinting is the same on the top of page 36 of volume 3.

The box matches with cgould42 where the writing is a dark brown with maybe an army greenish tone to it matching the colour of the text on the front of the box.

The reference sheets are not stapled. The order is slightly different than the listing by tfm but with loose sheets they could have easily been switched around.

Plaag · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject:

Of the 4th and 5th white boxes I have a 4th, 5th and 4th/5th (UWA book is a 5th print)

The GK on the side of the box for the 4/5th is black and has the imperfections, while the 4th and 5th have solid GK and even Fantasy Games Rules is thicker font.

MT has 2 staples showing outside, 3 on the inside for both my 4th prints (pierces pages 15-26 only), 5th print is 2 staples throughout.

UWA has the little extra dot on the top left of the D in Dave Arneson in Volume 3 for both 5ths.

All the 5th print booklets are slightly taller then the 4ths.

4th print Reference Sheets are in this order: ((looking at this again, seems these would be for the 5th print as the cover matches Ralf's))
page 1 Correction Sheet (I take this is the 'front cover' for these)
page 8 Spells Table (Magic Users)
page 19 Die Roll Curse: (Range 3" diameter)
page 12 The Monsters
page 11 3Pirates will have prisoners as do Bandits
page 14 Wilderness Wandering Monsters
page 5 Referee's Map
page 6 Monster Determination and Level of Monster Matrix
page 3 Statistics Regarding Classes
page 4 Attack Matrix 1
page 17 Saving Throw Matrix
page 18 Basic Equipment and Costs
page 15 5 Die 6 Die
page 16 Fighting Men within castles
page 7 Die Lycanthropes Swimmer Types Dragon Types
page 10 Treasure Types
page 9 Monster Reference, Continued
page 2 Miscellaneous Weapons
page 13 Spells Table (Clerics)
page 20 48-52 Boots of Speed

So pages 1, 8, 13, 20 are the outer sheet, etc

5th print Reference Sheets same sheet configuration, but shuffled in a different order (obviously used/looked at) and as stated above seems are for the 5th print.

ShaneG.
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Plaag · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject:

As for my 2 OCE reference sheets, they match the order I presented (well with one have the central sheet folded opposite).
Is there any difference with these reference sheets besides the 4th print and 5th print ones? (so were the OCE just 5th prints)

ShaneG.
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Chromatic-Knight · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:05 am Post subject:

My 4th print box set matches the one TFM posted above.
The only exceptions are that it contains reference sheets that match the 5th print boxed set that Ralf posted, and no green on the side logo.

harami · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject:

(one lagged & re-re-booted PC later...)
=> http://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11171#11171 also, re. 4th, if desired. Never did tidy that up as "earlier" for sure vs. possibly just being a missed label but the box still fits "early" onto the 4th/5th "continuum". Brian's on http://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=60662#60662 had sticker residue and I doubt most of those are easily removable, so it's still a "unique" afaik albeit not the only rara avis in the white box series.
(n.b. health warning on the first linked thread as that was 2004 in the context of still having to hit my head against the "4th-" brick-wall. Wink

)

Re. coloration of side logo on first post: would really need a box with fewer other "obvious" signs of possible climatic, etc., alteration from life history.
Thanks for the posts. :)

scribe · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:24 pm Post subject:

I have what I believe to be a 4th print OD&D boxset here. Except for the box bottom has reference to Game Designer's Workshop Traveller. The box bottom appears to belong to this set, but I could be wrong and might have a mangled set.

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