Dungeons & Dragons (1975)--White Box, 5th print

Ralf Toth · Last edited by Ralf Toth on Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:47 am; edited 1 time in total

Original Collectors Edition (5th printing) white box set. Archive description

Here are my scans for the 5th printing.

Box

Title: Dungeons & Dragons
Item Code: na
Type: Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wagames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures
Copyright: 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, 5ht printing as of 1976 (?)
Author(s): Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
Artwork: Keenan Powell, Greg Bell, C. Corey, D. Arneson, and T. Keogh and David Sutherland
Cartography: n/a
Place of Publication: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States
Printer: n/a
Format: white box containing three softcover booklets, and 20 page (5 sheet) reference booklet
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 310g
Dimensions: box: length 23.2cm, width 15.6cm, thickness 3.8cm (label printed on left side of box)
Volume 1: length 21.4cm, width 13.9cm, thickness .3cm
Volume 2: length 21.4cm, width 13.9cm, thickness .3cm
Volume 3: length 21.4cm, width 13.6cm, thickness .3cm

M&M cover

M&M interior

M&T cover

M&T interior

Underworld cover

Underworld interior

Ref Sheets

The reference sheets are 5 folded sheets.

page 1 Dungeons & Dragons (cover)
page 2 Spells Table
page 3 Die Roll Curse: (Range 3" Diameter)
page 4 The Monsters
page 5 3Pirates will have prisoners as do Bandits, ......
page 6 Wilderness Wandering Monsters:
page 7 Referee's Map is a ........
page 8 Monster Determination and level of Monster Matrix:
page 9 Statistics Regarding Classes:
page 10 Attack Matrix I.: Men Attacking
page 11 Savings Throw Matrix:
page 12 Basic Equipment and costs:
page 13 5_________ Die 6_________ Die
page 14 Fighting-Men within castles will demand .......
page 15 Die Lycanthropes swimmer types dragon types
page 16 Treasure Types:
page 17 Monster Reference Table continued
page 18 Miscellaneous Weapons:
page 19 Spells Table
page 20 48-52 Boots of Speed
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Ralf Toth · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject:

Ok here's some more detail:

Men & Magic is a 36-pages and stapled booklet. It contains a product list of "TSR Hobbies":

Monsters & Treasure is a 40-page stapled booklet.

The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures is a 36-page stapled booklet.

Booklers are 14*21.5cm and have right-aligned page numbers.
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Mars · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject:

5th Print matches well with Ralf's copy down to the little extra dot on the top left of the D in Dave Arneson in Volume 3.

None of the books are 3 stapled.

I have noticed that some of the pages in the books are poorly cut and there is a noticeable difference in the size of the pages. In Volume 2, pages 5/6, 7/8, 17/18, 23/24 and Volume 3 pages 1/2, 33/34, 35/36 are a millimeter or two shorter than the other pages.

Chromatic-Knight · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:42 am Post subject:

My 5th print boxes match up with Ralfs also.

I did notice a different pattern of staples between two sets:

Volume 2 and 3 in one set have staples offset from the rest.

I have another 4th/5th set in shrink that I am tempted to open to see exactly what is inside. Just cant bring myself to open it though.

tfm · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:46 am Post subject:

Re shrink: Don't do that.
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Ralf Toth · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:50 am Post subject:

I can confirm that some pages are shorter in Vol. 2 as Mars described. My copy also has slightly different staple pattern as shown by Mike above.
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Ralf Toth · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:52 am Post subject:

Do we know the month and year of the 5th printing's publication? There is no clue inside the booklets.
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Plaag · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:08 am Post subject:

1976
- Classic Warfare (1/76)
- Greyhawk 3rd (1/76)
- Strategic Review 6 (2/76)
- AirPower (3/76)
- Bio One 1st (?/74(3-4?/76))
- Strategic Review 7 (4/76)
- Eldritch Wizardry 1st (4/76)
**Strategic Preview #3 (5?/76)**
- Little Big Horn (4/76)
- White Box Men & Magic 5th (12/75 (4-5?/76))
- War of Wizards 2nd (5/76)
**Dragon Magazine #1's Cover Date (6/76)**
((etc))

Going by the product lists would be 5-6 months after the 4th print (but this isn't set in stone)

Side note: PM so as to not clutter this thread, but is there any free program that will run and edit Word documents other then Works (which doesn't like large Word documents it seems)

ShaneG.
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Ralf Toth · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:

Shane, so you would suggest a printing date of April or May 1976 for the 5th printing, do I understand correctly? The printing dates listed above are they the result of research from all kinds of sources or is this a product list from some Dragon Magazine or something else?

We need to update the printing dates for white boxes in the archive, so I am trying to get the dates of printing straight. Your help is welcome.
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Plaag · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

Well I don't know why the quick turnaround from the 5th, I can't imagine it took the 4th a few months to sell out, but who knows. But it and the products I have listed are the result of examining many product lists and any dates listed in the various sources. TSR is not as cut and dry with the product lists as Judges Guild seems to be so that is why I don't claim it is set in stone.
But if I had to make a guess right now, I'd say that is a good basis to put the 5th print at.

ShaneG.
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Ralf Toth · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject:

OK I see. And for the 4th and OCE printings?

Anyone else wants to weigh in on this matter?
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Plaag · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:36 pm Post subject:

4th: 11/75
5th: 4-5?/76
'7th': 11?/77 (has prices)
6th: ? at this point

ShaneG.
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harami · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject:

tfm · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject:

At this point everything appears the same as Ralf's, but the reference sheets are different:

The letters in my Reference booklet title do not have the printing marks in them that Ralf's have, the 'O', 'R', 'O', 'N', and 'S'. Also, my sheet containing pages 9-12 (Ralf's) has been folded the other way.

I didn't know if it was clearly stated, but my example has five loose-leaf sheets.
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tfm · Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:15 am Post subject:

One other thing that I forgot to mention is the color of the covers is quite different when placed up against an OCE cover, for example. The 5th looks almost grayish/very light tan. I take it that's normal?
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