RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

The Fall RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund Drive (and Goodie Giveaway) will end in about 36 hours (as this is being written). It runs through October 15th, but any donations arriving while I'm asleep on the night of October 15-16 will count as entries (I'm usually up about 6:30 am Central Daylight Time). I'd like to thank everyone who has already donated to the Fall RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund Drive -- it's been very successful. Donations have come in not just from the US and UK but from Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Australia, Finland, and Sweden. Here's a repeat of the information on this fund drive -- and what we have to give away -- from my October 1st post.

As most readers know, my wife is recovering from oral cancer (with her next CT scan coming up in early November) 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 $120,000 so far. While almost three-quarters of this has been absorbed by hospital foundations or paid by previous fund drives, monthly payments by us, and the like, we still owe quite a bit. Our last fund drive was in July of 2010, but we've now accumulated enough old school items to hold another.

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. Anyone donating $25 or more during this fund drive will be listed as a sponsor in the upcoming public digest-sized versions of Microlite74 3.0.

Special Donor Goodies for the Fall 2011 RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund Drive (Mainly Original D&D Items)

Anyone who donates from now through October 15, 2011 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 ST1 Up the Garden Path module. Condition note: it's in what I would call very good condition. The major defect is a very light cup ring on the back cover. It's so light that I can't get it to show up in a picture, but you can clearly see it if you hold it at just the right angle to the light. I suspect it was made by a water glass and not by coffee or soft drinks.

Second, we have items for the largest donors. While these aren't nearly as rare as the ones we had in July of last year, they are probably more useful. The following items are available: First Fantasy Campaign (Judges Guild book by Dave Arneson on his Blackmoor campaign from 1977, first printing, good condition, map present); City-State of the Invincible Overlord (Judges Guild, 1977, this is the original "small booklet" version, two of the blank dungeon maps are missing, otherwise good condition); Original D&D - 3 books (the three little 0e books -- good condition but no box, look to be 5th printing), Outdoor Geomorphs Set One: Walled City (TSR, 1977?, unknown printing, 11 uncut one-sided graphic sheets but cover missing), Monster & Treasure Assortment Sets One-Three (TSR, 1980, booklet version, probably second printing), Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, very good condition), and Expert Rulebook (TSR, 1981, David Cook edition, very good condition),

The person making the largest donation will receive his or her choice of THREE of the above items. The person making the second largest donation will receive his or her choice of TWO of the above items (from those items remaining after the top donor has made his selection). The remaining two items will raffled off. Ties will be broken with OD&D trivia questions.

As was done in our fund drive last year, the major item is being awarded by raffle. This should give almost everyone able top donate a chance at the big prize -- even if they cannot afford to donate a lot. As always, everyone who donates any amount (even just a dollar) gets access to these special PDF downloads: The Grimoire #1, The Grimoire #2, Microlite74 2.0 Special Edition, Hidden Valley House Rules (B/X D&D), and more. A two volume digest-sized "special donor edition" of Microlite74 Extended has been added to the donor downloads in the last week.

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.