RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

If you've been reading my blog this week, you know I discovered a few old D&D items in a box full of old papers from the 1970s. Items like Palace of the Vampire Queen and The Dwarven Glory, the first modules published for D&D in the mid-1970s (from Wee Warriors). My wife has decreed that these items (which I admit I thought I had lost 25 or 30 years ago) should be used as giveaways for a Retroroleplaying Cancer Fund Drive.

As most readers know, my wife is recovering from oral cancer (she finally was allowed to get a set of lower dentures last month) and that I worked on the original Microlite74 as way to cope during her recovery from 6 weeks of radiation treatment in 2008. We are some of the 40 to 50 million people in the US who do not have health insurance and do not qualify for government aid as we live in Texas and have no children. The cancer treatments and related expenses have cost over $110,000 so far. While over half of this has been absorbed by hospital foundations and the like, we still owe a lot of it. Over the past couple of years, people have donated old school items for RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund drive which have helped lower the bills even more.

Everyone who donates anything at all (even a dollar) to the RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund gets access to a few special downloads (like pdfs of two 1970s D&D fanzines, a special edition of Microlite74, and more) as described on the RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund web page. And while I'm working on Microlite75 and Advanced Microlite20 OSS, donors giving $25 dollars or more, are listed as Sponsors of these two new free games as described on their web pages.

Special Donor Goodies for the Firecracker RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund Drive (Mainly Original D&D Items)

Anyone who donates from now through the next three weeks (through July 12, 2009) will be eligible for some extra goodies in addition to the special downloads everyone who donates gets and sponsorships.

First, for every $10 you donate you will receive one chance in a raffle for the copy of the Palace of the Vampire Queen from Wee Warriors. This is a second printing from 1976. It is the first adventure module ever published for D&D. It was even sold by TSR for a while. To be honest, it's not a great adventure, but it is the first and it is in very good condition. If you have donated anything in the past, you have been given one free chance in this raffle.

Second, we have items for the largest donors: The Dwarven Glory (Wee Warriors adventure from 1977, first printing); Dungeon Designer's Kit (Wee Warriors battle board type thing with counters for dungeon items), Dragonlord (Wee Warriors boardgame with Morno artwork, 1976), Tegel Manor (Judges Guild, 1977, first printing third release according to The Acaeum), The Curse on Hareth ("generic" adventure from The Companions, 1982), Treasure Trove I: Cards of Power (magical deck treasures from The Companions, 1982), Starfaring (Flying Buffalo, 1976, SF RPG with T&T-like rules), Geomorphic Mini Dungeon Modules (Fantasy Art Enterprises, 1979), Legacy (Complex RPG by David Feldt, 1978, includes card sheets and transparent hex overlay), and FEZ 1: Valley of Trees (early adventure from RoleAids, 1982 version).

The person making the largest donation will receive his or her choice of FOUR of the above items. The person making the second largest donation will receive his or her choice of THREE of the above items (from those items remaining after the top donor has made his selection). The person making the third largest donation receive his or her choice of TWO of the above items (from those items remaining after the top two donors have made their selections). If I'm counting correctly, this will leave one item which will be raffled away just like Palace of the Vampire Queen. (Note: Ties will be broken with OD&D trivia questions.)

In previous Fund drives, everything has gone to the highest donors. As most of our donors can't give a lot, we are adding the raffle for the "prize item" this time. This should give almost everyone able top donate a chance at the big prize. As always, everyone who donates any amount (even just a dollar) gets access to these special PDF downloads: The Gromoire #1, The Grimoire #2, Microlite74 2.0 Special Edition, Hidden Valley House Rules (B/X D&D), and more.

If you would like to help but cannot make a donation, please help spread the word around the blogsphere (and other places). In fact, if you make a post to your blog talking about this funfraising drive and post a link to your post in a comment to this post, we'll give you one entry in the raffle. Note: Your blog will have to have some way for us to email you if you get lucky or will will not be able to get your prize to you. I failed Mind Reading 101.

To get help us pay our cancer treatment related bills (and to get access to some special downloads and possibly the above mentioned items), send a donation in any amount -- small or large -- to me via Paypal. My apologies for having to ask for donations and my heartfelt thanks to everyone who donates. If you cannot donate but wish to help, please spread the word about my request and offer. Thank you very much in advance.