Classic DnD Accessories

Here is an overview of the various supplemental products TSR produced for the Classic D&D game line. Note that Adventure Modules are not included in this list, and will be covered on their own Classic D&D Products page in the future. Likewise, other material specific to the Mystara campaign setting, including the Creature Crucible series books and the D&D Gazetteer and D&D Almanac series books will be detailed soon on a page focused on that campaign world.


AC1 The Shady Dragon Inn is a collection of hundreds of pre-rolled NPCs, complete with a short background story blurb, to use as hirelings or NPC encounters. Also included is a fully detailed Tavern, complete with miniatures scale map.







AC2 Combat Shield is a DM Screen type accessory, containing "All the charts and tables you need to run combat for Basic and Expert games". Also included is the adventure scenario Treasure of the Hideous One, for Expert level play.







AC3 3d Dragon Tiles, set 1 is a collection of perforated, punch out cardstock terrain pieces and characters and monsters intended as a low budget alternative to lead/pewter miniatures. Also included is the adventure scenario The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina, for characters of level 2-5.






AC4 The Book of Marvelous Magic is a compendium of magic items for Classic D&D. A great addition to any campaign when the standard treasure tables begin to get boring.







AC5 PC Record Sheets are just that, preprinted character sheets for tracking all your PCs vital information. A revised version (AC6 product code), pictured to the right, purports to support Master level characters, but I've never seen them up close to do a comparison.

For reference, here are a few covers from other editions of the 

Classic D&D Character Record Sheets. 

All the products seem essentially interchangeable and cross compatible.

AC7 Master Player Screen finally gives the players a little of the privacy DMs have long enjoyed, and includes tables and charts supporting Basic through Master level play. Included is the adventure scenario The Spindle, for high level PCs.







AC8 3d Dragon Tiles, set 2 contains more punchout cardstock terrain and characters, this time including some out doors pieces rather than just the standard dungeon dressing. Included is the adventure scenario Revenge of Rusak, for characters level 7-9.

This product is usually mislabeled, bearing the product code AC3, or sometimes AC5, however, AC8 is the 'empty slot' in the series and is generally accepted as the proper code for this product.

AC9 Creature Catalogue is Classic D&D's answer to the Monster Manuals of AD&D fame, containing scores of new animals and monsters as well as expanded discussion of special attack and defense forms and some advice on playing monsters in the game. Later, in the Rules Cyclopedia era of the game's publication history, a similar Creature Catalog (note the Americanized spelling this time around) was released, however, the monsters included differ from those in AC9 in places, and a completist (or a vicious DM) will want to acquire both volumes) For more information on the contents of each book, how they differ, and discussion of the origins of some of the monsters (in various other D&D products and adventures) I highly recommend the following discussion at the the Dragonsfoot.org Classic D&D forum: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=50118


AC10 Bestiary of Dragons and Giants is less bestiary or monster manual and more a short treatise on how to effectively play these mighty foes in a campaign, along with a dozen or so short adventures showcasing the different varieties of each monster.







AC11 The Book of Wondrous Inventions is a fun, but silly collection of new magic "artifacts" for your game, including such legendary devices as soda vending machines, coin changer machines, automated laundry cleaners, portable stereo "boom boxes" and, of course, tanks. Use at the risk of your campaigns seriousness.

On the other hand, this book does include some groundrules for creating and researching new magic spells and items, so it's not a complete joke. I must also admit, joke or not, I love this book.

Other odds & Ends

The Monster and Treasure Assortment is a DM's tool consisting of random lists of encounters (monsters, traps and npc groups) as well as treasures to aid in stocking a dungeon, or, as I use them now and then, in determining random encounters or unplanned treasures. Three volumes were published; Vol 1: Levels 1-3, Vol 2: Levels 4-6 and Vol 3: Levels 7-9, as well as a Vol. 1-3 compilation edition, which is the one I own, as well as the more common and easy to find one these days.

Dungeon Geomorphs were essentially cardstock sheets with interlocking bits of dungeon maps that you'd cut apart and rearrange like a jigsaw puzzle to create an endless variety of dungeon maps. Three sets were released; Set 1: Basic Dungeons, Set 2: Caves & Caverns and Set 3: Lower Dungeons, as well as a Set 1-3 compilation volume.

Along the same lines, Outdoor Geomorphs Set 1: Walled City took the geomorph concept and moved it above ground, creating an endlessly customizable city map (similar to those found in some Classic D&D adventure modules). Future releases were planned and advertised, but never published.

Over the years, TSR produced a number of other products, such as dice, graph paper pads, hex paper pads, and other weird things that I don't feel are worth mentioning here. While I understand that some of you are purist collectors who want to track down these rarities to complete your collection, I am more of a utalitarian collector, I use everything I collect in my game. Quite frankly, paying hundreds of dollars for a set of (rather poor quality anyway) vintage TSR "Dragon Dice" is to me a waste of money when I can get a superior quality modern set at any brick and mortar or online vendor for 5 or 10 (US) dollars.
However, for those of you interested in tracking down, or even just learning about, some of the really rare and odd TSR products of the past, I humbly refer you to the Acaeum: Dungeons & Dragons (product) Knowledge Compendium. The folks over there run an exhaustive, illustrated (In fact, many of the thumbnails used in these pages on my blog are borrowed from their library) archive of almost every TSR product published for D&D and AD&D 1st edition. http://www.acaeum.com/index.html