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1st printing

Image courtesy of Christophe Smagghe, France
DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE
Item code: TSR2011
Type: Core Rules
Release: 1979
Author: E. Gary Gygax
Cover Art: David C. Sutherland III
Interior Illustrations: David C. Sutherland III
D.A. Trampier
Darlene Pekul
Will McLean
David S. LaForce
Erol Otus
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Print Runs: → 1st (May+ 1979)
2nd (1979)
3rd (December 1979)
4th (?)
5th (?)
Rarity: Uncommon (1st)
Common (2nd and later)
Value
@NrMint:
$40 (1st)
$10 (2nd and later)
ISBN: 0-935696-02-4
Cover Price: na
Weight: 800 grams
Dimensions: Width: 22 cm;
Height: 28.5 cm;
Depth: 1.8 cm
Collectors Arcana: This item was not released in shrink wrap. Contrary to MM and PHB, the Dungeon Master Guide was not released as softcover by TSR UK.

"DUNGEON MASTERS EVERYWHERE, REJOICE! TOO LONG HAVE YOU HAD TO SUFFER ALONG WITH CRUCIAL CHARTS AND TABLES SPREAD THROUGH MANY WORKS. TOO LONG HAVE YOU HAD TO USE MAKESHIFT REFERENCES TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. YOU NOW HAVE A COMPLETE COMPILATION OF THE MOST VALUABLE MATERIAL FOR YOUR REFEREEING; THE DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE.
HEREIN YOU WILL FIND.

COMBAT MATRICES
ENCOUNTER TABLES
MONSTER ATTACKS ALPHABETICALLY LISTED
TREASURE AND MAGIC TABLES AND DESCRIPTIONS
GEM VALUES BY TYPE
RANDOM WILDERNESS TERRAIN GENERATION
SUGGESTIONS ON GAMEMASTERING

... AND A WHOLE LOT MORE. IT IS AN ABOLUTE MUST FOR EVERY DUNGEON MASTER!"

Discuss this item with other collectors.


1st Printing: The first printing is easily identified by a number of distinctive features: The letter "D" in the AD&D angled yellow banner is cut off. The book has 232 pages only. The flyleaf is yellow. There is no printing information inside.

'Every book in the first print run of 40,000 copies had 16 pages from the Monster Manual mistakenly bound in. The entire run had to be recalled and reassembled. Half of the second run of 40,000 copies was ruined by a loose wire on the boxing machine that cut a deep gash on the cover of every other book. This print run was also recalled so the good books could be sorted out and shipped while the scarred covers were replaced. As a result of this shortage of supply, demand for the book went through the roof.' (From: Silver Anniversary History Booklet). Sep 14 2006 the first confirmed copy of the DMG with embedded Monster Manual pages sold for incredible $1,425.99. The item was in good condition.

(1st printing: see picture on top of page)

Picture to the left: Cover of a 1st printing DMG with Monster Manual pages. (courtesy of Kynan Connor, USA).



Picture to the left: Page from Monster Manual inside Dungeon Master Guide (misprint, courtesy of Kynan Connor, USA)..


Picture above: Example of the result of a recall: The Monster Manual pages in the print above were replaced with the correct DMG pages. As a result of this process, a new flyleaf was pasted over the old and the inside margins crept inward. Because of the re-binding, this DMG will not lay open (except for the covers).

(Information and picture courtesy of Kynan Connor, USA)

2nd to 4th Printing: The 2nd printing is identified by the letter "D" in the AD&D angled yellow banner, which is not cut off any more. The covers for 2nd to 4th printing are identical. The 2nd printing has 232 pages, the third printing has 238 pages. The 4th printing even 240 pages. The flyleaf is white (2nd and 4th printing) or yellow (3rd printing). The 2nd printing has no ISBN, the third and fourth printing have one. Contrary to a 2nd printing, the 3rd and 4th printing now state "Revised Edition, Dec 1979" on the title page. All printings bear the TSR wizard logo on the cover.


Printing information courtesy of Kynan Connor, USA

5th Printing: The 5th printing is easily identified by the TSR "man in the moon" logo.


Image courtesy of Paul Tremiti, USA.
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