This is the 1980 reprint of the first two D-Modules, Descent in into the Depths of the Earth and Shrine of the Kuo-Toa. Aside of some nice new art (that back cover illustration of the mind flayer is some primo stuff), this isn’t very different from the original printings.

It feels different, though. Unlike the G-Series that, when collected, feels like an overwhelming slog, D1-2 seems very full of things I’ve come to expect from later first edition modules – things like variety and mystery that manage to come across just by flipping through. Maybe I’m just excited to finally be playing these in the near future, though.

Regardless, half the fun of owning multiple version of this early material is seeing how rapidly the norms of D&D and the industry it created were evolving. If nothing else, you can immediately see how many more people worked on making D1-2 an appealing product through better design, layout, printing and even illustration.