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| The first book of the series |
Goodman Games, the US publisher that gave us (among a lot of things) the very successful Dungeon Crawl Classics modules line and the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG surprised a lot of fans, especially Grognards, with the announcement of a new book line: Original Adventures Reincarnated. So far just a book has been released, Into the Borderlands, but it’s a mammoth sized beast (almost 400 pages) reprinting Classic D&D B1 and B2 modules, with (we quote): “Herein you will find high-quality scans from multiple printings of the original first edition adventure modules, plus commentary by such gaming luminaries as Luke Gygax and Mike Mearls. Full fifth edition conversions of both adventures are included, as well as brand new additional adventure locations to further expand and develop the Borderlands. This is a fully playable mini-campaign to start off your new fifth edition adventures, with a distinct old-school vibe”. The response has been very positive with two printings already sold out!
First, thanks to Goodman Games for agreeing to this interview. Let’s start with the obvious question: how did you get the idea for the Original Adventures Reincarnated line?
Hi Ciro, thanks for taking the time to conduct this interview. I believe this idea formed somewhere in the early 1980’s when I was first exposed to D&D. It wasn’t long before I concluded I wanted to be involved in publishing these fun adventures. The impetus for this particular line of adventures came about a few years ago during discussions around opportunities for 5E publishing. There is a tremendous amount of interest in D&D 5E as well as a tremendous amount of interest in classic modules, so it seemed like a natural path to take.
Was it difficult to get a license from Wizards of the Coast for this project? In the past they dabbled in ‘collector reprints’ themselves (during the interregnum between 4thand 5th edition)…
I’ve always found Wizards of the Coast easy to work with. I think this was a project that we both wanted to do.
What was the various gaming luminaries’ reaction to the proposal to contribute to Into the Borderlands?
Pretty much everyone who has ever played D&D has positive memories of In Search of the Unknown and The Keep on the Borderlands. Everyone involved was excited to be part of it. And we received many, many inquiries about future involvement once the first volume was released!
What were the biggest challenges and satisfactions of this project?
This is volume #1 in the Original Adventures Reincarnated line, and there will be many more volumes. The biggest challenge was figuring out a format that could work across many different possible conversion opportunities. I think we got it close but not quite perfect. One area that can be improved upon is the maps. They are functional but not beautiful. Dungeon Crawl Classicsis known for its beautiful maps (thanks to the incomparable cartography of Doug Kovacs). Although that particular DCC look is too stylized for a D&Dadventure, a style one step closer to the DCC look could work. That’s what you’ll see in volume 2 of Original Adventures Reincarnated.
Some people complained that the book has “too many” printings of the modules with very little, if any, differences and that they would have liked a less ponderous book for a lower price or more original content. Do you think such a criticism has a point?
What we are trying to do with this series is bridge a generation gap. If you know the phrase The Keep on the Borderlands, it generally means you must be at least 30 years old, possibly older. It is probable you have a job and a family. And you’ve probably thought about teaching your children to play D&D. A significant portion of the Goodman Games community is now in this bracket, and I believe a significant portion of the larger RPG community is as well. The format selected for Original Adventures Reincarnated provides content of immediate interest to the “parent” in this situation, which means the original adventures which tap into the nostalgia factor. And then we reincarnate those adventures with a 5E conversion, of interest to the “next generation” in this situation. Both parent and child have a chance to enjoy the product. Although this exact equation will not apply to all gamers, it will provide a special bond to those who are able to enjoy it.
Goodman Games has already sold two printings, so Into the Borderlands should have been very successful. Would you share the print runs for the book with us or, at least, give is some hints about the number of books sold?
A lot.
You have started reprinting the B1 and B2 modules: any plans to continue the series and/or enlarging it to AD&D too?
Yes.
What will be the next book in the series?
The next book in the series will be announced at Gen Con. We hold a seminar on Saturday night at Gen Con called “What’s New With Goodman Games.” The manuscript draft is already complete for volume 2, and maps and art are underway. We’ll be announcing the title at our Gen Con seminar, with a release date slated for a convention later in the year.
Any interest for ‘foreign’ (ie not English language) editions of Into the Borderlands?
Right now our focus is on English editions.
Thanks for your time!
Thank you!