Palace of the Vampire Queen (1976)

tfm · Last edited by tfm on Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:23 am; edited 1 time in total

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Masters Kit - Number 1 (on cover), Dungeon Master Kit - Number One (on title page)
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 23 single-sided sheets in black folder with red lettering
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 146g
Dimensions: length 30.1cm, width 22.7cm, thickness .3cm

Additional image(s):

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Believed by many to be the first printing of POTVQ, this example is distinguished from others by the presence of the black folder, the 23 singled-sided pages, and the clear presence of a grey grid line in the map portions of the module. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as that. The grey grid lines, when examined closely, are composed of clearly defined tiny dots. Another indicator of print is the measurement from the top of the D in the word "Dungeon" to the bottom of the number "6" on the scale on the Dungeon Master Kit - Number One page. This sample measures 23.9cm. This example is microscopically uniform with respect to grid line, type of paper, and ink borders.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:21 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Masters Kit - Number 1 (on cover), Dungeon Master Kit - Number One (on title page and cover sheet)
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 24 single-sided sheets plus cover sheet in black folder with red lettering
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 146g
Dimensions: length 30.1cm, width 22.7cm, thickness .3cm

Additional image(s):

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This example is identical to the one above except that it also comes with a yellow cover page. The title pages, when lined-up and held up to the light, line up perfectly, suggesting a common source. I'm of the opinion, and it is just an opinion, that this example and the one above were produced at the same time by Wee Warriors and then given to TSR for distribution. Under the microscope the paper appears to be the same paper used in the 1976/1977 The Dwarven Glory. The D-to-6 measurement is 23.9cm, of course.

This particular example came with extra photocopied sheets of several of the pages.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:56 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Masters Kit - Number 1 (on cover), Dungeon Master Kit - Number One (on title page)
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 23 single-sided sheets in black folder with red lettering
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 146g
Dimensions: length 30.1cm, width 22.7cm, thickness .3cm

Additional image(s):

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This example appears on the surface to be identical with ones listed above, but there are some peculiar differences. At the bottom right-hand side of the title page is a toner mark or footprint about 2 x 2.5 cm square. Furthermore, the distance from the top of the D in Dungeon to the bottom of the number 6 in the scale is 24cm. When this page placed on top of the title page of the previous sample, the letters do not line up exactly, indicating a different print. Several of the pages, though not all, carry the toner footprint on the bottom right-hand side of the page. Also, the grey grid line waivers a bit on some of the map pages. Under closer examination the grey grid lines, which are made up of small dots, have lost their clear definition, indicating a later print. Given that some of the pages appear to match the ones above while other pages don't match at all suggests a different place and time. The black folder matches, but very few of the other pages do. This particular example has two Player's Level One maps and no DM's Level One map. Another curiousity is the copier mark which appears on many of the pages (center):

The lack of a DM's Level One Map, the variations in patina between the sheets, the toner marks and the copier marks all suggest a different animal. Why this is the case is pure speculation. If TSR was given a bunch of folders to fill, it may be possble to trace the toner marks. It's also possible that someone a long time ago attempted to "finish" an incomplete copy. Three different patinas can happen depending upon methods of storage and exposure to light, but it isn't reassuring when combined with other factors. If there are more copies like this one, then it would support the idea that either Wee Warriors or TSR produced a "second" version of the black folder Palace of the Vampire Queen.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Master Kit - Number One
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 16 double-sided sheets plus cover sheet
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 78g
Dimensions: length 27.9cm, width 21.6cm, thickness .2cm

Additional image(s):

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Although the bibliographic information indicates a first print, it is widely believed that this printing follows the black folder. The new cover, the double-sided printing, and the weakening grey grid line do suggest a later effort. The D-to-6 distance on the title page is 23.8cm.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:05 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Master Kit - Number One
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 12 double-sided sheets plus cover sheet
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 72g
Dimensions: length 27.9cm, width 21.6cm, thickness .2cm

Additional image(s):

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The new cover, the Zocchi label, and the oscillating grey grid line suggest a later printing. The D-to-6 measurement is 23.8cm. Please note that several of the lines appear to be grey. The presence of grey in and of itself does not indicate print. It is, rather, the crispness of the grey line. Only the early black folder with the crisp grey grid line throughout can seriously be argued to be a first printing.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:06 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Master's Kit Number One
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1977
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Morno
Place of Publication: San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Printer: n/a
Format: 14 double-sided sheets in wrap-around cover, stapled
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 79g
Dimensions: length 21.9cm, width 14.2cm, thickness .4cm

Additional image(s):

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A digest version, this appears to be the first printing of POTVQ to carry the Wee Warriors label.

tfm · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:07 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Master's Kit Number One
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1977
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Morno
Place of Publication: Morro Bay, California, United States
Printer: n/a
Format: 14 double-sided sheets in wrap-around cover, stapled
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 88g
Dimensions: length 21.2cm, width 14.2cm, thickness .4cm

Additional image(s):

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The grey grid line is no longer an issue.

tfm · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:35 am Post subject:

Title: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Item Code: Dungeon Master Kit - Number One (on cover), Dungeon Master s Kit - #1 (on title page)
Type: Generic fantasy role-playing adventure
Copyright: 1976, first printing June 1976
Author(s): Pete & Judy Kerestan
Artwork: Judy Kerestan and Brad Schenck
Place of Publication: n/a
Printer: Jerry Wellfonder
Format: 16 sheets plus cover sheet, stapled in corner
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Mass: 80g
Dimensions: length 27.3cm, width 21cm, thickness .2cm

Additional image(s):

Original yellow cover:

Zocchi yellow cover:

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Although this version of POTVQ bears some resemblance to the yellow cover version listed above, this print is of a more recent manufacture. Nothing lines up to match the original, and the grid lines for the map pages are light black or blank in the rooms.

After agitating David and with some feedback from the community, the best guess so far is that it is probably a later issue produced Kerestan and distributed by Zocchi to feed a demand for the rare item. I have reservations about it because laser paper was used for the printing. In any case the materials used in its manufacture suggest a post-2nd digest production time.