{"product_id":"od-d-supplement-iii-eldritch-wizardry-dungeons-dragons-d-d-digest-size","title":"OD\u0026D Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry Dungeons Dragons D\u0026D Digest Size","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Western;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e👉\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis reprint is an unread perfect bound copy that is made to order. Any foldout maps (if any) that were included in the original print are separated and bound all together as 8.5 x 11 inch pages.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Western;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e👉🏼These reprints are made to order. Please allow 1-2 weeks for your order to ship. A tracking number will be provided when your order ships.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Western;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e👉🏽\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese reprints are fully licensed by Wizards of the Coast and printed on demand from original edition scans or digital files (if available). Please allow 1-2 weeks for your order to ship. A tracking number will be provided when your order ships.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #333333;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Western;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e👉🏾All orders are packaged safely in boxes for shipping.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e👉🏿\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll books ship for FREE and thus have FREE combined shipping!\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e📧\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease get in touch if you want a particular title! TSR, WOTC, R. Talsorian and more are available!\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book you now hold in your hand represents new dimensions to an already fascinating game system. This is the third supplement to DUNGEONS \u0026amp; DRAGONS, and was produced as a result of an ever increasing demand for new material.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book also represents a new trend in the fine art of Dungeon Mastering. As originally conceived, D \u0026amp; D was limited in scope only by the imagination and devotion of Dungeon Masters everywhere. The supplements have fulfilled the need for fresh ideas and additional stimulation. But somewhere along the line, D \u0026amp; D lost some of its flavor, and began to become predictable. This came about as a result of the proliferation of rule sets; while this was great for us as a company, it was tough on the DM. When all the players had all of the rules in front of them, it became next to impossible to beguile them into danger or mischief. The new concept pioneered within these pages should go a long way towards putting back in some of the mystery, uncertainty and danger that make D \u0026amp; D the un-paralleled challenge it was meant to be. Legend Lore once again becomes the invaluable spell it was meant to be. No more will some foolhardy adventurer run down into a dungeon, find something and immediately know how it works, or even what it does, By the same token, no longer will players be able to send some unfortunate hireling to an early demise by forcing him to experiment on his master's goodies. The introduction of psionic combat is bound to enliven games grown stagnant. It opens up untold possibilities for both the players and the DM, and in so doing recognizes one of the favorite topics of science fiction and fantasy writers: the unknown powers of the mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs with the two previous supplements, the material herein contained follows the format of the original three booklets that comprise D \u0026amp; D. Corrections and additions are noted, so that it can all be integrated into the original with a minimum of bother. As you will note on the title page, this supplement had many contributors. Such is the nature of the beast. D \u0026amp; D was meant to be a free-wheeling game, only loosely bound by the parameters of the rules. We feel that ELDRITCH WIZARDRY goes a long way toward fulfilling the original premise of danger, excitement, and uncertainty. May you always make your saving throw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis PDF is drawn from the Original Edition Premium Reprint, which included new cover art and updated layout.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct History\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eD\u0026amp;D Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e (1976), by Gary Gygax \u0026amp; Brian Blume, is the third of four supplements for the OD\u0026amp;D game. It was published in May 1976.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAbout the Cover:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e The covers of the first two D\u0026amp;D supplements featured black \u0026amp; white line art, but \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e showed that D\u0026amp;D was coming up in the world. Though the seventh and final issue of \u003ci\u003eThe Strategic Review\u003c\/i\u003e (April 1976) beat it to the punch, \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e was the first supplement to feature full-color cover art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe art itself was quite controversial, featuring a nude woman tied to an altar. It reflected the casual attitude toward nudity found in early D\u0026amp;D products. It also was the exact sort of image that D\u0026amp;D would be moving away from following the religious right's assaults on the game in the early '80s. (Editor Tim Kask says that they debated the plusses and minuses of the artwork, and eventually went with it, but did indeed catch \"a lot of flak about those boobs\".)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOrigins (I): Divers Hands.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eSupplement I: Greyhawk\u003c\/i\u003e (1975) and \u003ci\u003eSupplement II: Blackmoor\u003c\/i\u003e (1975) are usually regarded as the work of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson respectively, but a group of \u003ci\u003edivers hands\u003c\/i\u003e also contributed to those books including Greyhawk co-GM Rob Kuntz, planar expert Steve Marsh, and editor extraordinaire Tim Kask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was even more the case with \u003ci\u003eSupplement III: Eldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e which gave mainline credit to Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, but also thanked Steve Marsh, Dennis Sustare, Jim Ward, and Tim Kask for their contributions. The world of D\u0026amp;D was growing in the wider community through a number of APAs such as \u003ci\u003eAlarums \u0026amp; Excursions\u003c\/i\u003e (1975-Present), but it was also growing at TSR through these additional contributors to the official D\u0026amp;D canon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose divers hands might have helped speed up the production of \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e. After the long nine-month wait from \u003ci\u003eGreyhawk\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eBlackmoor\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e appeared in about half that time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOrigins (II): The Mystery.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e Tim Kask states that \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e has a very specific purpose; he says that the proliferation of rules from TSR had caused D\u0026amp;D to \"become predictable\", so \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e would reintroduce \"some of the mystery\". Why this would be the case is unclear, since \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e is ultimately another proliferation of rules, but Kask points toward the psionic systems as something that could \"enliven\" games. Looking back, it was the artifacts and relics that stood the best chance of recreating mystery, since \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e didn't specify exactly what they did!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOrigins (III): Whodunnit?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e Recognizing that \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e was created by \u003ci\u003edivers hands\u003c\/i\u003e, we must ask: but who did what? Some bits of that have been revealed over the years:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eDennis Sustare\u003c\/i\u003e contributed a complete druid class, which was then revised.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eSteve Marsh\u003c\/i\u003e sent in another complete class, the mystic, a cleric based on Indian mysticism. It was combined with Gary Gygax's incomplete divine (or devine) class, who was a psionicist, and what came out of Tim Kask's development wasn't a class at all, but the psionics rules.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eTim Kask\u003c\/i\u003e also worked with \u003ci\u003eGary Gygax\u003c\/i\u003e to come up with the idea of segmented actions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eBrian Blume\u003c\/i\u003e created the two infamous artifacts of Vecna (and probably the Sword of Kas too).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eGary Gygax\u003c\/i\u003e was likely the author of much of the rest of the book, including the demons and most of the artifacts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhich begs the question: why was Brian Blume listed as a co-author? He probably contributed more than the three artifacts we know of, as he was a fan of D\u0026amp;D from the start and had already contributed to \u003ci\u003eBoot Hill\u003c\/i\u003e (1975). But could it have been enough for co-author credit? Or did the credit also reflect his position as co-owner in TSR Hobbies — an ownership that had attained majority control after his father, Melvin Blume, helped with the buy-out of Don Kaye's widow the previous year?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAbout the Book.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e is another digest-sized book. It runs 60 pages and like its predecessors organizes its sections around the original three \u003ci\u003eOD\u0026amp;D\u003c\/i\u003e books (1974). As with \u003ci\u003eBlackmoor\u003c\/i\u003e before it, \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e is full of \"new stuff\", but it's stuff that's even more far-flung than monks and assassins. That's because Gygax wanted to show players there was more to the game than Tolkien. So, some of the systems were more outré — going beyond heroic fantasy to the weird fantasy genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA year earlier, Gary Gygax talked about a long line of supplements, but by the time TSR produced \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e, it was meant to be the last book containing \"rules tweaks and adaptations\". You see, TSR had already decided that the rules needed to be collected and reorganized, which would result in \u003ci\u003eBasic D\u0026amp;D\u003c\/i\u003e (1977) a year later … and after that, \u003ci\u003eAD\u0026amp;D\u003c\/i\u003e (1977-1979).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExpanding D\u0026amp;D: Forgotten Heroes.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e The character classes were slowing down by the advent of \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e, which features just one: the druid, a neutral subclass of cleric that built on the druid \"monster\" from \u003ci\u003eGreyhawk\u003c\/i\u003e. This was the eleventh and final official character class for OD\u0026amp;D, following the publication of the bard in \u003ci\u003eThe Strategic Review v2 #1\u003c\/i\u003e (February 1976).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExpanding D\u0026amp;D: The Psionics.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e also introduces a new magic-like system: psionics. Though the core of it is a new combat system (which originated with Gygax's divine class), psionics also includes special abilities that are an alternative to the cleric and magic-user spheres of magic (and which originated with Marsh's mystic class).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsing psionics costs psionic points. This is quite different from D\u0026amp;D's core magic system which is \"Vancian\", where spellcasters memorize specific spells and cast them on a one-time basis. Historian Jon Peterson suggests that allowing psionicists to instead power arbitrary spells with a set pool of points might have been a response to the spell point systems being experimented with in \u003ci\u003eAPA-L\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAlarums \u0026amp; Excursions\u003c\/i\u003e. Ironically, in \u003ci\u003eAlarums \u0026amp; Excurions #2 (1975), Gygax said that he had opted not to use spell points for spell casting because it was \"far more complex\".\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, psionics have never been well-received as a core part of D\u0026amp;D, perhaps because they're more science fantasy than high fantasy. They were relegated to an Appendix in \u003ci\u003eAD\u0026amp;D\u003c\/i\u003e (1977-1979), then they were omitted entirely form the core books of \u003ci\u003eAD\u0026amp;D 2e\u003c\/i\u003e (1989).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExpanding D\u0026amp;D: The Artifacts.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e Artifacts — which are high-powered, unique, historic magic items — are the other major innovation of \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e. They also meet the criteria of making D\u0026amp;D more mysterious again, because the GM randomizes their powers from tables. Players could no longer look up what the magic items actually did!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of the artifact's proper names are references to TSR staff and friends:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eHeward's Mystical Organ\u003c\/i\u003e, which is accidentally called Reward's Mystical Organ, is a reference to Gary Gygax's cousin, Hugh E. Burdick, a technical prodigy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eInvulnerable Coat of Arn\u003c\/i\u003e references Greyhawk Castle player Don Arndt and his overly cautious paladin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eIron Flask of Tuerny the Merciless\u003c\/i\u003e was a warning to Ernie Gygax, with Tuerny being a spoof of his evil character, Erac's Cousin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eMighty Servant of Leuk-O\u003c\/i\u003e refers to Ernie's brother, Luke Gygax.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eQueen Ehlissa's Marvelous Nightingale\u003c\/i\u003e calls out yet another Gygax offspring, Elise Gygax.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally, the \u003ci\u003eRing of Gax\u003c\/i\u003e was named for Gary Gygax himself.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eSword of Kas\u003c\/i\u003e is an off-handed reference to editor Tim Kask.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eHand and Eye of Vecna\u003c\/i\u003e both include an anagram for fantasy and science-fiction writer Jack Vance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis trend of referential names would continue throughout Gary Gygax's tenure at TSR.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExploring Greyhawk.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e To date, the OD\u0026amp;D supplements had not provided any real background on the primordial D\u0026amp;D worlds of Greyhawk or Blackmoor, and that's still (mostly) the case with \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e … except that the evocative histories of many of the book's artifacts were eventually subsumed into the World of Greyhawk. So, before the published World of Greyhawk ever appeared, it was also the product of \u003ci\u003edivers hands\u003c\/i\u003e, with Brian Blume making the first major contribution, with his linked histories of Kas and Vecna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMonsters of Note.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e Unsurprisingly, \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e introduces psionic monsters such as the brain mole, cerebral parasite, intellectual devourer, su monster, and thought eater. The mind flayer was also converted from his original appearance in \u003ci\u003eThe Strategic Review #1\u003c\/i\u003e (Spring 1975). A few other classic monsters appear including the catoblepas, coautl, cockatrice, grey ooze, invisible stalker, lich, and yellow mold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever it's the demons who the most historic monster of \u003ci\u003eEldritch Wizardry\u003c\/i\u003e. They're just called Type I-VI demons in this early book (with Type VI being balrogs, and later balor due to lawsuits). Succubi are also included, plus the first two demon lords: Demogorgon and Orcus. These demons were largely intended as an arch-enemy for clerics, just as psionicists (and the new psionic monsters) were intended as an adversary for magic-users.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eExploring the Great Wheel.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e The astral plane of earlier books is here joined by the ethereal plane. Demons are said to come from another plane, but it's not clear where, though they regularly roam the astral plane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAbout the Creators.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e Gary Gygax and Brian Blume were together the co-owners of TSR Hobbies in 1976, alongside Brian's father Melvin. Though Brian had contributed to a few of TSR's early releases, he was moving more toward the business side of things. This would be his last major work, other than \u003ci\u003eDragon\u003c\/i\u003e articles over the years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Chaos Lord Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47290705117378,"sku":"NmK-837-3d","price":35.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0741\/0591\/3538\/files\/s-l1600-2_df42722d-ea2e-4d11-87ab-f7af8d0d1fd0.jpg?v=1776039103","url":"https:\/\/chaoslordgames.com\/products\/od-d-supplement-iii-eldritch-wizardry-dungeons-dragons-d-d-digest-size","provider":"Chaos Lord Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}