RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

As regular readers probably know the Leap Month RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund Drive and Giveaway ended without giving away all of the old school items Alexi Debois donated for the project. (See Leap Month Cancer Fund Drive: The Final Report.) Three of the five items he donated were given away: the Daystar West Media edition of Pharaoh (1980), the Empire of the Petal Throne boxed set, and the complete set of issues of The Strategic Review (and the first ten issues of The Dragon Magazine). However, the real stars of the show were the 1982 original version of the FEZ 1: Valley of Trees module and the Quest for the Fazzlewood module. These remain in Alexi's hands as the last goal for the drive was not reached.

At the close of the Leap Month Drive, Alexi mentioned something about maybe trying again after tax season. I did not think he was serious, but it turns out that he is. Tax day in the US was the 17th this and Alexi informs me it was April 30th in Canada. So at Alexis request, we are having a very short "make-up fund drive" to try one more time to give these to items away. This drive runs from now through Monday, May 21st. This deadline will not be extended.

The major items on offer to donors are:

FEZ 1: Valley of Trees: This is the original 1982 version of FEZ I. It is 40 pages long and in a green folder. The more common 1987 version of FEZ I, Wizard's Vale, was only 32 pages long and had somewhat different content. The folder is not in the best of shape. the module booklet is in very good shape. It has pencil marks.

Quest for the Fazzlewood: This was used as a tournament module at Wintercon VII in 1978 and published in low numbers by Metro Detroit Gamers. It was later expanded and modified by TSR and published as O1: Gem and the Staff in the early 1980s. It is 12 loose pages of adventure and a "Player Evaluation Sheet" used to score the player for the tournament, all in a light cardstock folder/cover. The module was designed for one player. It's in good shape but has DM notes/marks in pencil, apparently from when Alexi's cousin DMed the game at Wintercon VII.

These two items will be given away by drawing. Donors get one chance in this drawing for every $10 they donate. Anyone who has donated $10 or more since the start of the Leap Month RetroRoleplaying at the end of January has chances to win. In other words, if you have already donated in the original Leap Month Cancer Drive (or donated between the time it ended in March and now) you do not need to donate again for a chance to win -- however, if you do donate again you will get additional chances based on the total of your donations. For example, if you donated $25 in February Leap Month Drive and donate another $25 during this mini-drive, you'll have a total of five chances to win (instead f the two you started with).

The goal for this drive is $1000. This will allow us to pay off all the bills originally aimed for in the Leap Month Drive plus one laboratory bill that came in months after the fact. If we reach $500, there will be a drawing for FEZ I at the end of the drive. If we reach the $1000 goal, we'll have drawings for both FEZ I and Quest for the Fazzlewood.

I've acquired a few minor old school items for our highest donors thanks to a trip to a hole-in-the-wall used bookstore in Killeen a couple of weeks ago. First, a copy of TSR's Warriors of Mars - minis rules for a John Carter of Mars game (published without permission from the Burroughs estate). It was written by Gary Gygax and Brain Blume. It's fairly rare but this copy is a "playing copy" not a "collector's copy." Second, a copy of Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age, FGU's minis rules for Conan's Hyboria, published in 1975 and written by Lin Carter and Scott Bizar. The condition here will not please the true collector, but it is in good shape -- better than Warriors of Mars. Finally, a copy of the original 1976 edition of Metamorphosis Alpha. This copy is in very good shape, while it might nor please the die hard collector, it has definitely been well cared for. The person donating the highest amount during this mini-drive will have his choice of one of these three items. The person donating the second highest amount will have his choice of the two remaining items. The third item will also go to the high donor.

As before, everyone who donates at least $25 during this drive will be listed as a sponsor in the Microlite74 Swords & Sorcery rulebook (except those who wish to remain anonymous, of course) in classifications based the Adventurer class level titles from the game determined by the amount donated. Anyone donating $50 or more may place a tabletop roleplaying ad in the free public version of the game if they wish. This is a great way to plug your blog, product, campaign, convention, etc. Ad Sizes: business card size (donation $50-99), quarter page (donation $100-249), half page (donation $250 or more). These will be scattered through the booklet (instead of using public domain art).

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 Extended, and more) as described on the RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund web page. This will also give you access to draft copies of Microlite74 Swords & Sorcery (which are released in between the public betas).

If you'd like to donate, you don't need to wait for the official announcement as any donations made now will count. We are trying to raise about $900 which will finish paying off the various bills the original Leap Month Cancer Fund Drive was aiming to pay. So if you want to jump start things, send a donation in any amount -- small or large -- to me via Paypal. Remember, if you donated during the Leap Month Cancer Fund Drive, your drawing chances will carry over -- no need to donate any more to qualify (unless you just want to).

Summary/Call for Donations

To get help us pay our cancer treatment related bills (and to get access to some special downloads and possibly the above mentioned giveawy items), send a donation in any amount -- small or large -- to me via Paypal. Remember, if you donated during the Leap Month Cancer Fund Drive, your drawing chances will carry over -- no need to donate any more to qualify (unless you just want to).

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 fundraising 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 we will not be able to get your prize to you. I'm afraid I failed Mind Reading in school. Thank you very much in advance. ()