AD&D 2e Complete DMGR BLUE BOOKS (1990-99): A Guide to the Guides II

Four years ago, I built a post dedicated to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Brown cover splatbooks: The PHBR class/race expansion material aimed at players. The Brown books were quite popular, and saw many subsequent printings as years passed. The post was me trying to make sense of the myriad differing versions. TSR was always consistently inconsistent in noting printings on the credits page.

AD&D 2e Complete Handbooks (1989-99): A Guide to the Guides

AD&D 2e GREEN HR Historical Campaign Sourcebooks (1991-94): A Guide to the Guides III

I’ve had quite a few comments asking me to do the same with the Blue DMGR books. Aimed at Dungeon Masters, the Blue guides sold in fewer numbers and had few reprintings. But “few” doesn’t mean “none”. And I have a full set of nine blue guides today. Equipped with them, and my file photos, let’s dive in!

Just as with the Brown guides, the Blue reference post today will be an ongoing project. I’ve added a number of photos to the Brown post as new variants show up in the shop.

[Yep, there are also the Green Historical Guides. I don’t believe any of them saw reprints. But I have a full run of them waiting on my work table, and they do have the awesome poster maps to photo, so I’ll make a Green post in due time]

Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide (DMGR1)

1990 … Paul Jaquays & William W. Connors … 128 pages … TSR 2112 … ISBN 088038817X

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Noble Knight | DriveThruRPG (PDF)

I don’t have a pic of the credits page of the 2nd cover, but the TSR badge logo was used 1991-2. I’m not aware of any later printings.

The Castle Guide (DMGR2)

1990 … Grant Boucher & Troy Christensen & Arthur Collins & Nigel Findley … 128 pages … TSR 2114 … ISBN 0880388374

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Hey, we a got a confirmed printing note! I’m not aware of printings beyond 1992.

Arms and Equipment Guide (DMGR3)

1991 … 128 pages … TSR 2123 … ISBN 1560761091

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Noble Knight | DriveThruRPG (PDF)

DMGR3 saw multiple printings. It released with the TSR Badge Logo, reprinted with the Shield Logo (1992-9). There’s also a 1996 pebbly-textured cover variant that I do not have a photo at the moment.

Wizards of the Coast, during the period 1997-9, after acquiring defunct TSR but before the release of D&D 3rd edition, finished projects stalled in the pipeline, and reprinted popular titles from the past. So Arms and Equipment Guide got a 1999 reprinting (though it still claims to be “5th printing, Jan 1994”, which it clearly isn’t).

Monster Mythology (DMGR4)

1992 … Carl Sargent … 128 pages … TSR 2128 … ISBN 1560763620

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I believe that DMGR4 only ever had one printing. All of them that I’ve seen have the same printing error, with misaligned page blocks.

Creative Campaigning (DMGR5)

1993 … 128 pages … TSR 2133 … ISBN 1560765615

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I believe there was only one printing of DMGR5.

The Complete Book of Villains

1994 … Kirk Botula … 128 pages … TSR 2144 … ISBN 1560768371

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The Complete Book of Villains is the first in the series to lose its DMGR coding. TSR discontinued product letter/number codes in 1994, to the sadness of gamers everywhere. Presumable code DMGR6.

Villians also received a Wizards reprint in 1999. They are scarce, for whatever reason.

The Complete Book of Necromancers

1995 … Steve Kurtz … 128 pages … TSR 2151 … ISBN 0786901063

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Noble Knight | DriveThruRPG (PDF)

The Complete Book of Necromancers only had one printing I believe. It has been rare and coveted since I began selling RPGs in 2002. Amazingly, Wizards never reprinted this title. Presumable code DMGR7.