Weird. I guess I am lucky. I never experienced any of this. I experienced that we were ALL outcasts who played D&D, we were all goofy nerds who came together to play this wonderful game. This idea that minorities were kept from D&D is completely foreign to me (as a minority).

I work with an old guy who claims to have played D&D with Gary Gygax a few times. For a while I sort of doubted it until he showed me a picture of him with the guy, I'm like "well damn". Supposedly he's the inventor of one of the early spells. I asked if he ever played any tabletop game since D&D and he responded with "checkers" 😂

It was Dave Arneson who came up with the idea of using a d20 over Gary's d6. Read the Arneson: The Lost Interview from Gamasutra for reference when they ask Arneson about the d20.

Seems we just established that Dungeon Master is not the property of D&D/WotC/Hasbro as it comes from the public domain.

Very cool to hear the acknowledgement to Wesley's Braunstein game

I started playing D&D in 1979 and dungeons crawls were such an amazing and intense experience. I started DMing soon after. There was literally nothing comparable in any game or experience. The September 1979 issue of Games magazine featured D&D and did a good job of explaining the game and it described (even then) a game in many ways more like the way most of us play today. So glad I still enjoy playing now into my 45th year of D&D!

I may eventually get this, but only after heavily discounted or second-hand.

“The Wizard Gaylord” I will never take criticism for my character names ever again.

The Gygax-Arnesom duo is like the Stan Lee-Jack Kirby of RPGs down to the fallout between them

26:07 It's also wild to hear how faithfully the level-0 funnels of Dungeon Crawl Classics have continued this OG dungeon experience of ~12 characters crawling and 1/2 of them dying. I didn't realize that was just 1970s tournament D&D.

In most commercial endeavours, the start date is considered when someone makes a payment even if it isn't fulfilled until later. So that would make D&D's start date January 1974. As mentioned in the interview, that's also the copyright date with all its legal and historical implications.

Something to look for any time I hit a used-book shop.

Loved this interview. What Jason says about Gygax's and Arneson's partnership and fallout is pretty realistic and on point. We just need to cherish the history of the game and what these two men created. They both deserve the credit and is truly a miracle this game has existed for so long. Can't wait to get this book and nerd out.

Im a kiwi now living in Australia. Ive watched this and told my own son how I too experienced D&D at age 11 in 1980! At a local wargaming club….i had no idea what it was but I was bought in for a game at the last minute…..that interview bought it all back! The book is ordered! I treasure that time in my life of the creativity it bore and the life long friends that I made along the way….we still play to this day. My son calls me “an original” (pencil and paper adventurers not digital folks!!!!) guess I am in a way. Love seeing how it has captured his imagination. Im a long time Advanced D&D player but 5th edition is great!

Thanks for the video! January 27th, 1974, the last Sunday in January is the anniversary of D&D. The copyright date is in January, orders were in, and groups of players were gaming with the final and official rules, so that is the official anniversary. Of course, the copyright date is relevant, both reasonably and legally, and as the booklets were printed one after the other, the copyright needed to be at the start of that process. Of course, late January when people were playing with the final rules is important as it is the culmination of playtesting and allows the rules to be sold. Of course, orders being in for the product is when something was sold, even if delivery / fulfillment took place a bit later. That's literally what "sold" actually means. Rules finished, rules copyrighted, and rules sold. To move the date to February is just foolish when everything, including a portion of that very postcard / index card points to late January. According to Peterson's blog (from Wednesday, October 6, 2021), and having been made aware of that postcard, he writes, "Though TSR printed the three little brown booklets one at a time throughout January, Gygax suggests the last volume did not come back from the printers until the second week of February" but further states, "Regular readers of this blog may be wondering if this new timeline induces me to push back when I celebrate the anniversary of the publication of D&D, that is, on the last Sunday in January. My earlier posts about this stressed the difficulty of assigning a 'release date' to a game produced so informally, pointing out ambiguities like Gygax's claim that January was when TSR received its first order, which could have been true even if the game hadn't been printed yet, etc. Ultimately, I probably won't move my own celebration date, for the reason given on the bottom half of the postcard above: because Gygax could still run the game for a group of 16 on Sundays before the booklets were all back from the printers. But I wouldn't look askance at anyone who raised a glass to D&D on the first (or even second!) Sunday in February instead." E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson are the father of RPGs and David Wesely is the grandfather of RPGs (creator of Braunstein [brown-stine, according to Wesely]). Certainly, Braunstein and "Blackmoor" were proto-RPGs but the rules were codified by Gygax (and expanded with revisions by Arneson) to be published in Lake Geneva, WI, in January 1974. As someone who played wargames in the early 1970s, added D&D to the mix after it was published in 1974, and has played all versions of D&D through the intervening years, then semi-retired to Lake Geneva a dozen years ago where I have helped manage the game store since 2016, I've come to the conclusion that only the Internet creates the perception that there are gamers who give more credit to one of the co-creators or the other. Personally, I shifted my own D&D games to 1E AD&D as the core hardbacks were released over three years: MM in 1977, PBH in 1978, and DMG in 1979. We incorporated those additions at our table as they were released. This was also true of people who were in the game clubs I was part of in Northern IL back then. So, too, the folks I met from gamestores as well as those who I met at conventions (my first GenCon was in 1975). Further, I have spoken to thousands I have met since at conventions and gamedays for 50 years, and those who stop at the game store in Lake Geneva when they visit town on the "pilgrimage" over the last decade. All I have met have a shared gaming experience and I can't recall any real discussions downplaying the efforts of any of the creators. That seems to be a fiction perpetuated by a vocal minority.

I know there wasn't an artistic ampersand in 1974, but why use the 2014-Present ampersand on the book, rather than the more vintage ampersand from AD&D 1e and BECMI?

My introduction to and came really during summer camp at age around 8 and I was able to buy 1st edition monstrous manual. Years later, second edition was available and I was buying the books for it

Why wasn’t supplement IV (Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes) and Swords & Spells included? Please print enough for the demand. OD&D is the best D&D.

For me DnD started in Nov 74 because that is when we received our brown box in the mail and we sat down, cracked the books and on the same weekend rolled our first dice. Rolled is a misstatement as we didn’t have dice so we used dice cups and numbered chips similar to what we used in our tabletop miniature games. While some went back to more traditional tabletop I never looked back. I fondly remember over the years sitting around a table at the university library designing and developing our monsters for our worlds.

Exactly, hence the popularity of OSR. If another edition of the game is imminent, please take the best parts of 5e and combine them with the classic elements we all love. Goodman Games understands this with "Into the Borderlands" and the other classics they have updated. The guys who wrote Arden Vul and Barrowmaze have the right feel. I think the 5e rules really are better in terms of keeping the game fun at the table (and I've been playing since the 80s) but the old school vibe to adventuring is what the game is all about. My group won't be headed to Strixhaven anytime soon, but if Tsojcanth is available for 5th we might just check it out. Cheers!

26:52 Wait! So this guy is _not_ Jon Peterson? The video's description kinda sounds as if he is. So who is this guy?

Sometimes I wish I had been born a few years earlier so I could have experienced OD&D when it launched. As it is I was introduced to D&D Christmas 1978 with the Holmes’ box and LOVED it! Played every edition and variation ever since.

I wish that one day we'll get to see the maps and charts of Gygax's original Greyhawk megadungeon that he used for playtesting.

I cant wait for this book !! . Rerelease the first set again (the booklets, Brown Box) with a 50th anniversary spin. Setup a big 50th anniversary gathering in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin as well. We all, including your company, should be celebrating the 50th Anniversary in a BIG way. It's well deserved.

Fascinating video. I must say my overwhelming takeaway is, if y'all own the Wilderness Survival game and it gamifies that aspect of play in a relatable way to the traditional rules then why hasn't it been refreshed and represented?

The look of glee on petersons face as he describes destroying the legacy of the men hes "honouring"

Thanks for actually repinting the Brown Box in this book. For that alone this is a must have.

I am going to have to get this book at some point. Saw it at GenCon and it looked great.

I first heard about Dungeons & Dragons through unconventional means, My dad had a second-hand copy of the TSR Computer games, so I actually started on 2nd edition when 3rd edition was current. Ignore the complainers, if you had no respect for the source material, you wouldn't have reprinted all these historic documents unedited! Bravo for showing us where it all began !

I like the historical document angle. This is awesome! 🖤🍻

Is there still going to be a 50 year documentary that was announced?

I doubt this has any significant material that hasn't already been printed about D&D. I won't be buying it.

Based only on the history as recounted here, I, and I think most relatively uninformed viewers, would have assumed that Arneson and Gygax deserve equal credit in terms of the creation of D&D. However, wherever I see reference, in that context, to the two together, the order is mostly, if not always, Gygax first, and Arneson second. That's seen in the documents shown in the video itself as well as in the comments, including a detailed one from @MarckCMG who seems to know his stuff. And it's reflected in Wikipedia articles on the topic. I doubt it ends there. Now of course it is not a hard and fast rule that name order always implies priority (i.e. credit). But in a two-author situation, where they are listed in *reverse* alphabetical order, it pretty much does. So while _"Arneson, Gygax"_ wouldn't itself imply anything about priority, _"Gygax, Arneson"_ is a pretty clear statement that Gygax is the primary. In that light, is the now conventional ordering of Gygax-then-Arneson fair on Arneson? Note: I'm talking only about the significance of their contributions to the _creation_of the thing, not to its subsequent development (in which they may well -- I've no idea --have diverged).

"A lot of people saw the creation of a whole new game as the solution but they decided to just put "A" in front of "D&D" instead, and then found a judge that didn't know or care about the case to rubber-stamp it. Nobody that the case mattered to was fooled at all - of course - but, like I say, the case didn't to the judge - you know, he got paid either way. So there it is: that's how AD&D came to be classed as a "new" game despite, you know, not being one." Never go to court if you can avoid it. Toss a coin if you have to.

It's a shame Dave's First Fantasy book could not be included.

I am very excited about this book, but I am sad that the cover is so ugly.

Not bad. The only factual error I noted was that the original Blackmoor campaign ran between 1971 -1975 with only short breaks. That's significantly longer than 9 months, lol.

Interesting. Do you have Tim Kask’s notes?

Why aren’t Supp IV or Swords & Spells in ?

23:45 I burst out in tears laughing when they said the original books suggested a new DM could start out playing for a group of 12 people! I have been a part of a game that had 12 people and one round of combat took anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour.

I was a rare "real" girl that got in to D&D back in 1978. Still have my old books, and notes, and stories. Added books as they came out, and ran a family & friends game for 25 years or so. Now I'm just an old woman Druid player, after handing the reigns over to one of the kids - who is also a teacher. Nice to "just" play again after 45 years. My favorite part of D&D is the interaction in real time, and a DM with more than one idea. Each session is a little different, rather than just "running dungeons" in video games. Great game. Would recommend.

This was a well said break down of what most likely happened \ what did. But as he said some things we just won't know. Awesome to hear them mention Braunstien! The whole MMSA was key to what influences Arneson I think.

D&D for me started with 1st aka Advanced. I still recall looking at the DMG with awe. Here it is 2024, and the 1st DMG has still remained 'useful' and you can still get it new as a POD. I have it, and it is still awesome. Sadly 2nd featured inconsistent lousy bindings and a badly thought out product line. 3rd was marred by opps we meant 3.5. And then 4th which was seen as a video game on paper. And now we have 5th, which is going to be marketed again as 5th 2024. The game lost its value after 1st. It has been nothing but an excuse to sucker the fans to buy piles of books that don't genuinely offer value. If you want to play the great game that started the majority of the hobby, all you need is 1st edition. If you can't run a great game with 1st edition the flaw is with the person, not the product.

Ironically when in school everyone wanted to play and I ended up with 10+ players and at least as many again, if not more, who would stand behind and watch what was going on, but not play. We played at lunchtime in the library meeting room and I had to be very strict in order to get anything done, otherwise it would turn into a session of where a bunch of people just stood around and spoke. I felt like a bit of a tyrant, but the spectators had to be quiet and the players had to make decisions quickly, as we had less than an hour each session.

This is a really great video thank you. I started playing in red box in 77-78 part brown.

I just finished "The Game Wizards," so I am stoked for this new book!

Minor factual errors (e.g. Tolkien did make it into the white box edition), but mostly correct -- good job. Remember, there's a lot of us still around that were playing back then, and will be poring over this. I look forward to the book -- $100 isn't bad for a hardbound that size -- as long as the paper and binding are good. As to the superiority of the current edition, well, let's just say there is some disagreement on that.

Was not expecting this book to be this thorough hopefully the quality of the print will match the work put into it.

"You've to be like Godzilla VS King Kong, lean back and watch the fight!" LOL XDD

I think I probably bought a later edition red box D&D around 1985? I was 12, and didn't have anyone to play with, so I was always looking for solo adventures. And I would make up solo adventures for myself. It wasn't until college that I found an AD&D group in my dorm.

My first romp with DnD was Zanzar's Dungeon, the Goblin Lair, and Rage of the Rakasta. While this edition predates the one I'm familiar with, being able to go back to a cleaner setting is definitely a huge plus after the crunch fest that was 3.5 and 5e.

Very very very interesting !! Thanks !!

Blackmoor was the first campaign and the first world created.

I'm very excited about this book. Thank you for your hard work on it.

Also if anyone loves ose and the best old school tops, especially for sandbox, bandits keep is an amazing channel to check out! I thought dudes numbers would be in the mill. Been subscribed for ages, not even 20k! Makes me sad. Dudes content is amazing

I was a big player of 1st and 2nd edition. Hate the d20 system

Awesome interview. I’m not as old for 74 but my 77-78 I only know of the dungeon crawls

I suspected but as soon as I saw Jon Peterson mentioned in the description I was onboard with believing this was going to be 100% legit, haha.

I love how he name dropped thangorodrim like everyone knows what that is, power move

I have purchase and found nearly every OD&D book pdf. At first I thought it just included some images from the early days and discussion of it. If it is actually every OD&D product as a reprint, then I am in.

It would be cool to have a Blackmoor 5th edition product.

I hope we get a 2nd books showing the 80s and the Hickman revolution

Started playing as a kid around 1980 , my friends older brother got it for his birthday or xmas . I was lucky enough to be needed to fill a spot at the table.

Pretty awesome imo. I dont buy much on a whim but i bought, preordered, this before i started the video. Thats crazy to me and im so much more excited for it after having watched this.

Jon Peterson - great information and just wish their were more chapters to break up the clunks of info and better timelines in his books

So you are telling me that the first wizard was called "Gaylord"?! I see

"most of our players have never played any edition of D&D except for 5th" that is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts, where do you think that next generation got exposure to even know about the game? Jesus man.

$100 for the book is very expensive! I would read the book but not at that price!

This is an amazing historical research! Great publication for a 50th anniversary!

I co-host an old-school D&D podcast (@PaperPewterPlastic), where we talk about the development of D&D via Dragon and White Dwarf (the latter of which is the source of much of the Fiend Folio, and eventually, Warhammer) This is exactly the kind of book I love and cannot wait to read and talk about and pour over. Wizards, keep doing good work and support the game. It’s all too important to let fall be the wayside. What a great interview.

Great! Acknowledge the limitations and weaknesses of the past versions. Don't just censor them out of contemporary shame or smug superiority. This can show how the later developments might stand as improvements and fixes. Or, contrarily, it can illustrate that we have lost some valuable aspects in the pursuit of the new and improved. Present readers with as much of the facts as is practical, empowering them to reason their way toward conclusions, instead of burying the old as all bad and only presenting the new as all good. Balance approach.

It's so crazy just how important all of this was to gaming

What a fantastic interview. I also encountered OD&D through the more grown-up kids at school, and the Holmes blue book was my first "grown-up" Christmas present, followed by the Dungeon Masters guide for "AD&D" and the Monster Manual for my birthday. Having trawled many of the early wargamer magazines, particularly in the UK, for my RPG History blog, it's amazing how the 'kingdom campaigns + fantasy' gestated the seed for "individual role-playing characters" that became D&D. I've seen several very early examples (in the UK, with indirect links to Gygax) of narrative and character-driven fantasy campaigns that *could* have become D&D but it was Gygax and Arneson (and friends) that saw that spark and nurtured it into existence. What a 50 years! Looking forward to the book, very much.

Man, Jon Peterson is a fantastic speaker on this topic!

Great interview 🎉

Amazing job! The Historian and Archivist in me looks very much forward to this book on the origins of D&D and the RPG industry 🤓🤩

I would love to see a Grayhawk and Blackmoor campaign for the anniversary sometime this year

I started playing in 1978, and I always wanted to play the " big combo AD&D wargame" as that is how one of my friends a year or two earlier had described the game, he was a avid wargamer and must have gotten one of the very early copies of the game. However as teens, only the dungeon was really doable, and was what most teens wanted to play. we started with Keep on the Borderlands and used the chits not dice when starting. One of the reason we really could not do the big game with castles and big battles was, kids could not afford miniatures, and the reality is, miniatures are needed for battles. I had a lot of fun doing dungeons, but the original style of game, even though never experienced was always something I wanted to do. The way I as the AD&D DMG, was that is was the blueprint of what was needed to play that "big" game that I never got to play! Now as a adult, I do have miniatures, a couple thousand 15mm fantasy miniatures, and I have played the big battles using 1e AD&D, and the big battles using AD&D works very good ( with a few very minor changes), much better then the Battlesystem games that came later ( which I could never get my friends to play either). GREAT VIDEO!

Excellent overview. My 1981 eleven-year-old, Moldvay-Basic-Set-playing younger self had me preorder the book instantly. Could someone please tell me who the interviewer and interviewee are? It sounds like they're both WotC staff.

I was attending John Marshall Fundamental School in Pasadena CA. In 1978-79. My friends and I were playing Chainmail and D&D came out of that. It was a red box with a dragon on it… I bought it from my wargaming store…that sold tons of Avalon Hill box games and micro games in the ziplocks like warpwar, etc… So my question is which version of dnd did I have?

I'll get this book. It's always good to have source books.

I can’t wait to read this book because no matter who you credit for D&D it sounds like Arneson invented the RPG as we know it.

$100? a lot

The first D&D group I was part of had 30 players. Wasn't too bad. Lol. I've ran 22 at my most, but now it's 5, and I'm glad with that lol.

Logo has some very Chinese 🐉 Dragon Lunar New Year vibes 2024! 🎉

You love to see it

Mebbe credit the interviewee. Couldn't figure out who Todd was talking to.

wow, that's an ugly cover for a $100 book

This is the most excited I've been about an official D&D book since Princes of the Apocalypse (my fave of 5e). Definitely going to purchase! ❤

This video feels so fantastic to watch! Especially so because of Jason Tondro! He is an amazing guy and I still remember back when he was in Paizo working on Starfinder, I knew nothing about RPGs and he was the one who introduced me to these terms! Way to go!

what's the status of the dungeons and dragons documentary????

Absolutely impressive interview! Thank you for all of this...as an amateur historian and a D&D player/DM since 1981 (13 y.o.) in Philly. Still playing today and my favorite version is 3.5, as it incorporated many of the ideas that we had home-brewed and were thus, canonical at this point.

This sounds fantastic!

What a great video!

Having run a 12 player game of 3.5, my advice is: don't! FTLOG, just don't. This was a really interesting video and I'm definitely intrigued to read more in the book!

what a beautiful tribute to D&D, thank you for this video

This was great. Thank you.

Great video, have already pre-ordered the book and can't wait. :-) However, rather than have all of the early versions reprinted inside a large book I wish this could be a boxed set with a reasonable-sized book packaged along with facsimile versions of the original pamphlet books. 500-page books are hard to read.

This is the best video WoTC has released in years.

This sounds like a fascinating product. I’m looking forward to exploring it.