Yesterday morning, on a complete whim, I decided to find out what was lurking in the corner of the top room and unearthed a curious plastic container that has been taunting me for weeks. It was half-buried and I wasn’t sure what was inside, despite having my suspicions.

The find was immediately a delight! I found my D&D Third Edition (3.0) books, last seen around 2004 when we got D&D 3.5, my original DMG from 1st Edition plus the copy of Deities & Demigods that I appear to have appropriated from our GM, Daniel, back in the mid-80s. I also found the Unearthed Arcana book from late in that edition’s run.

The Dungeon Floor Plans from GW were a pleasant surprise, as was all the Judge Dredd RPG material next to it. To find my D&D Second Edition DMG, the Player’s Options book (which I bought in 1998), two books about Dragonlance, and the Book of Lairs was cool too. I didn’t check what the two modules were… hmm, must do something about that.

Finding Warhammer Fantasy Battle and the Middle-earth Roleplaying Game was as exciting too! I sat on the floor stunned. Then I pulled out the D&D Third Edition books and went off to explore those in more detail. I’ll talk about the nostalgia and memories that I drew out from those at a later date.

What struck me more than anything else was the way in which deeply held (but consciously forgotten) memories are tied to the physical properties of the books. For example, the Player’s Handbook for Third Edition has a ding in the top of the front cover. It arrived this way when I bought it… but it also connected me to memories of the unboxing done in my living room with the guys from the Friday gaming group.

It’s easy to dismiss old editions and forgotten books. Sometimes we do the past a great disservice when we belittle the treasures of our former selves. I remember each of these products fondly and I am deeply grateful for the joy they brought me. Perhaps there is more joy yet to be found in revisiting them.

Game on!