I run a weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons and have done so for the last 14+ years. The players in this game are my wife and our dearest and closest friends. Sometimes players come and go as our lives have changed, but we always seem to get back to the weekly game that we all love. As life got busier I was so very happy to see Dungeon come out with their Adventure Path series. It has really made running a weekly game easier on me. The writing is top notch and the stories and plot lines have consistently been enjoyable and exciting. Of particular interest have been "The Whispering Cairn" for its 1st edition feel and great way to get the players interested in the world, "The Champion's Belt": Gladiatorial combat at its best and "The Prince of Redhand" for its brilliant and innovative use of the CR system to create an adventure that does not boil down to combat. (Excellent Job of thinking outside the box).
Then yesterday (Monday the 22nd) my group took a hit so hard that I don't think "Age of Worms" will survive.
I went out to my car that afternoon to discover that the entire campaign and most of my Dungeons and Dragons books had been stolen.
My heart sank as the full gravity of the situation became clearer...
I kept everything in a black book bag so I could carry it back and forth to our games and I left it in my car Sunday night after working on it this weekend.... the entire bag was stolen. That was the only thing the thieves took, just the bag.
The bag contained the Player's Handbook 3.5, Dungeon Masters Guide 3.5, Monster Manual 3.5, Players Guide to Faerun, Weapons of Legacy, Spell Compendium and the Complete Warrior, Divine and Adventurer, Also, my Campaign Notebook with all the maps and notes I have been collecting. Including those wonderful large 4-part maps of Faerun that came out in Dragon a year or more ago. My Dice, including the "lucky dice" I have had for years and the dice bag my wife gave me as a gift. All the miniatures that I have collected and was planning on using in the campaign and.... the entire Age of Worms campaign. All the magazines, every single issue of Dungeon and their Dragon companions, all gone.
I am sure the thieves, once they discovered there was no laptop or money or anything they could pawn off for drugs, just dumped it...
I called the police, but the woman I spoke with just did not get it... She did not understand the value of these things. "Guns and Dragons" she said, "No DUNGEONS and Dragons" I responded. "Just Books?", sigh... "yeah... just books"...
So, I guess it's time to rebuild... but the disappointment for my players and me is tremendous. I just don't think I can afford to get everything replaced right away and that means that the Age of Worms has come to a screeching halt for me and my gaming group...
I just wanted to share this with people who I know feel the same way about D&D as I.
And a reminder to everyone... do not leave your campaign in your car.
Thanks
Scott
Before you give up entirely - are there any businesses or apartments around where this happened?
The most likely scenario is that the thieves left the area on foot, and opened the bag when they were not too far away (particularly given the weight of the combined contents you describe). They likely dumped it all in a dumpster in the area, probably one at an apartment complex or behind a business. (If there are woods nearby, it's even more likely to be there, but that'll require a bit more walking and searching, since they'll have tried to toss it somewhere non-obvious.)
I really do recommend combing the area and thinking about where you might have dumped the bag, if you were the thief. You might get lucky.
Before you give up entirely - are there any businesses or apartments around where this happened?
The most likely scenario is that the thieves left the area on foot, and opened the bag when they were not too far away (particularly given the weight of the combined contents you describe). They likely dumped it all in a dumpster in the area, probably one at an apartment complex or behind a business. (If there are woods nearby, it's even more likely to be there, but that'll require a bit more walking and searching, since they'll have tried to toss it somewhere non-obvious.)
I really do recommend combing the area and thinking about where you might have dumped the bag, if you were the thief. You might get lucky.
I have thought of that, and to make matters worse.... huh..
The apartment complex that I live in gets its trash dumped every Monday morning... so, most likely the car was broken into Sunday night and then the contents dumped, only to be picked up by the trash company at 4:30 AM and taken to a landfill... :(
This happened to a friend of mine. I feel for you bud.
you can purchase most of the things you've lost...it'll probably cost you a couple hundred bucks. The notes are another problem I guess.
I called the police, but the woman I spoke with just did not get it... She did not understand the value of these things. "Guns and Dragons" she said, "No DUNGEONS and Dragons" I responded. "Just Books?", sigh... "yeah... just books"...
I would have been like "Yeah, about $350 worth of *just* books." ($30 per hardback and $40 each for a years subscription on Dungeon and Dragon; would be more if estimated the cover price of the issues; also, this doesn't include your dice and bag).
My sympathies man. And that had to be one heavy bag!
~shakes my head~ Man. I feel for you! I am on my 3rd or 4th time rebuilding my D & D collection, so I totally understand how you feel. In my case, they were not stone, but either lent to others who never returned them or given away when I got married. Good luck!
That certainly is bad news.
But take this as an opportuntiy to rebuild with new books, including versions of books you might not have otherwise considered such as the limited edition PHB and DM guide with the cool gold lettering.
I think the loss of my character sheets would strike home harder than loss of dice (even the favorite dice) and loss of books.
Egads. My sympathies!! And to those that keep things electronically - BACKUP THOSE FILES!
I had a friend lose all his Planescape stuff when his car went up in flames. That really sucks.
This would be a good time for your friends/players to chip in and help you replace all that stuff. No reason you should have to pay for all that stuff yourself.
~Qualidar~
Do you have homeowners or renters insurance? They should be able to reimburse you for the books and minis.
I've got my whole books scanned as .pdf if somethings happen and they are more easily transported.
Nevertheless I feel your loss, I once lost my whole RPG Set (more then 300+books) to mold.
Dear God in heaven. I'm so sorry for your loss. I had my original AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide and Complete Psionics Handbook stolen a few years back by some neighborhood punks who took great joy in parading it about in front of me (and I'll spare us all the long story on why I couldn't retaliate or get the book back). That someone would steal your books makes my blood boil. I am so very sorry.
You could always visit your local church and ask the priest to cast a couple of divination spells. Once you know who the culprits are, a couple of Implosions ought to do it followed by a Miracle to get your gear back.
Seriously though, if that happened to me I would feel soooooo gutted. Sorry, mate.
Aggrrh! That sounds evil. I hope you can continue on with AoW; be sure to add some thieves to your plot line so the Characters can give them a sound thrashing! It won't get your books back, but it will make you feel better.
I would like to reiterate this warning, as well. Although my D&D collection was not stolen, my girlfriend's and my backpacks were both stolen out of my car for a total of ~$1000 worth of textbooks. And class notes. During finals week.
1) DO NOT ever leave bags on the seats of your car. Target bags, Best Buy bags, backpacks, purses, or anything of that sort belongs in the trunk if you leave your car. This will always be an invitation for thieves.
2) Early summer and mid-winter are the worst times of year, especially if you live near a college campus or a student dorm/apartment complex. Wheras year round thieves will steal your stuff, during the last weeks of the semester (when people will tend to leave their backpacks in their car more often, anyway), thieves will steal backpacks full of textbooks and go to the college bookstore "used book buy-back" window. Beware these times of year.
I hope that this advice proves useful to someone. I hate hearing these types of stories, and I understand your pain.
CEO
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The bag contained the Player's Handbook 3.5, Dungeon Masters Guide 3.5, Monster Manual 3.5, Players Guide to Faerun, Weapons of Legacy, Spell Compendium and the Complete Warrior, Divine and Adventurer, Also, my Campaign Notebook with all the maps and notes I have been collecting. Including those wonderful large 4-part maps of Faerun that came out in Dragon a year or more ago. My Dice, including the "lucky dice" I have had for years and the dice bag my wife gave me as a gift. All the miniatures that I have collected and was planning on using in the campaign...
Hi Scott:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Paizo would like to replace the Age of Worms Dungeon issues that you lost, and I think we can find copies of the Faerun map for you also. Send me an email at lisa@paizo.com and I will get those sent out to you right away. Hopefully the rest of the stuff will be replaced in time.
-Lisa
What a sinking feeling. My sympathies.
When I was thirteen, I was on a flight out to San Francisco and fell asleep with my copy of the 1st edition PH on the empty aisle seat next to me.
I awoke thirty minutes later. Someone nicked my book. Now this was back in 1981, when D&D had a far smaller audience, and so I got the feeling that the mile high miscreant responsible wasn't a gamer; rather, a run of the mill klepto. I know it's only a single book but OH that chest bubbling thrum of betrayal... I mean, these weren't the poorest of the poor stealing my book to trade it in for a hunk of day old bread. This was someone who didn't need it. They stole it because-- (never was able to fill in that blank).
Rebuild. I did. Bought the PH out in San Fran a day later. Don't let the D&D pilferers end your joy. Make up for your disappointment by making life decidedly hard for non good rogues in future campaigns. Either that or go to gaming stores within a half hour drive and alert them of the theft with an exact list of the books that were stolen. Then, when someone comes in with the material to see if it'll fetch anything, they have your phone number and you can make a dash over with a nail spiked softball bat and pulverize the cretin into a small potable puddle of crimson man gravy. Sure, you'll do time, but F2K will understand as he slaps the cuffs on you. Why if he didn't have a badge he might have done the same...
Hi Scott:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Paizo would like to replace the Age of Worms Dungeon issues that you lost, and I think we can find copies of the Faerun map for you also. Send me an email at lisa@paizo.com and I will get those sent out to you right away. Hopefully the rest of the stuff will be replaced in time.
-Lisa
And that pretty much sums up Paizo as a company...
They definatley appreciate their customers!
Hi Scott:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Paizo would like to replace the Age of Worms Dungeon issues that you lost, and I think we can find copies of the Faerun map for you also. Send me an email at lisa@paizo.com and I will get those sent out to you right away. Hopefully the rest of the stuff will be replaced in time.
-Lisa
And that pretty much sums up Paizo as a company...
They definatley appreciate their customers!
Wow I second that! Guys you Rock!
That is indeed an awsome gesture. Gesture? I need a better word.
~Qualidar~
Wow. Excellent gesture by Paizo, definitely a class act. And sorry to hear about the dilemma Jarjaxle. Any kind of theft is nothing fun to live through.
You guys at Paizo freakin' rock. I don't think I could let my subscription ever lapse with support like that.
Jarjaxle, please visit Lilith's Stat Block Bank to help start recreating your NPCs and get some other DMing goodies. If there's anything else we can do for you, please let us here at the boards know.
TK
Wow man, I feel your pain. I lost a few books at a convention a few years back and it hurt. Anyone other than a gamer wouldn't understand. Books get replaced every few years anyway, but some of my dice are from the games I played as a kid. It's all very personal but can be replaced. Plus, if you are like me you have players their own resources as well to help fill the gap.
Do you have a paypal account? I'll send you a few bucks to help replace your losses.
Game on.
Everyone,
Thank you all for your kind words. I have sent Lisa and George both an email thanking them for their generosity. I can't believe that those magazines (and those rare Faerun maps!) will soon be replaced! My players and I are so very excited about being able to get back to the campaign and characters that we all love... and... Paizo has made me a lifetime fan (well, I was one already, they just further cemented it!) of their company. It's that kind of generosity of spirit that makes me proud to be part of such a wonderful community.
Thank You all again,
You have turned this disaster into something much better.
Well done, Paizo for that wonderful gesture towards one of your customers. I felt valued before but now, well whatever is a stronger word than valued, I feel that. :)
I came into this thread late, but:
Jarjaxle: My sympathies! That stinks. Take it as an opportunity to build anew.
Lisa & Paizo: What a wonderful response/gesture! Few and far between are the companies that would do something like that. You rock. We gamers are a fussy lot to be sure, but such kindnesses are remembered by your loyal customers that frequent these boards.
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Seriously, anyone reading this thread needs to subscribe immediately and spread the word to support Paizo products. I have stated in other threads that Paizo has single-handedly lured me back in to D&D with a vengeance. Nothing against wotc, but Paizo has that "by the players, for the players" feel that no marketing team can imitate because it's genuine. Replacing the age of worms issues for this poor guy gives me a ray of hope in a time when I have been trusting humans less and less :)
As for the minitures, there are counters for some of the
monsters at RPGenious.
I have Spawn of Kyuss, the Froghemouth, the killer Catapillar,
and others.
If you have an inkjet, you can print them out on cardstock.
Oddly I once prayed very hard and the missing thing appeared
on my bed in the morning.
Another time I meditated very hard and a missing tool
appeared in an antique store.
It's great that the people who make Dungeon are helping to
replace the stuff lost.
Kudos to Lisa and therefore Paizo for their generosity. Unasked for charity is the best kind and always done without expectation. It is a credit to Paizo's leaderhip and technique at bonding with a unique customer group. I hope Jaraxle that this simple and wonderful act will inspire you to continue gaming in spite of another's ugliness.
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Good call, Paizo. My gaming gear--and the big tote in which it is often carried en masse--is among my most treasured things. The sting of the loss, especially to theft, has got to ache still. Best wishes to you, J, in rebuilding the tools to create epic adventures with your friends.
I was debating between picking up a new videogame or some back issues of "Dungeon" (the one with Warduke, as I just found the figure when among other gaming chums the other day; a missing chapter in the Istivin saga; and also the one with Isle of Dread, predicting that it'll be scarce once "Savage Tide" launches) this morning, and reading this thread... well, it was an easy decision of who to support.
As an aside, I was pleased to see that my items would be shipped in only a couple of days, rather than the weeks I usually wait for other Internet purchases.
All around, kudos to doing what so many businesses aspire to but fall short of, and delivering exceptional customer service.
My sympathies, Jarjaxle.
Thieves and rogues in game are fun, but real-life stealing is so not cool.
Nice, on Paizo's part.
That settles it for me. I'm ordering a subscription to Dungeon today.
Three cheers for Paizo!
Hi Scott:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Paizo would like to replace the Age of Worms Dungeon issues that you lost, and I think we can find copies of the Faerun map for you also. Send me an email at lisa@paizo.com and I will get those sent out to you right away. Hopefully the rest of the stuff will be replaced in time.
-Lisa
This is, by a very long shot, the most kind and customer friendly thing I have ever seen a company do. I think everyone knows that there are kind people in the world, but sometimes it is really hard to prove. Lisa Stevens solidified that in deed, and not just in word, a person or company can shine above their peers with just a little effort.
Thanks for the warm, fuzzy feeling.
- Neomorte
~grins~ I have been buying both Dragon and Dungeon from my local hobby store for over a year now. However, because of what Lisa and Company have done, I will subsribe as soon as I get the money. (Which will be in about 2 months.)
Lisa, since you and Paizo have helped out so much during Katrina and now this, is there any way that I can help out too? If so, what would you like me to do?
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CEO
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~grins~ I have been buying both Dragon and Dungeon from my local hobby store for over a year now. However, because of what Lisa and Company have done, I will subsribe as soon as I get the money. (Which will be in about 2 months.)
Lisa, since you and Paizo have helped out so much during Katrina and now this, is there any way that I can help out too? If so, what would you like me to do?
Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I appreciate the support for my company...every bit helps. However, I think the most important thing that this thread shows me is how amazing this messageboard community is here on Paizo. We started the boards as a way to get feedback from our subscribers, but the boards have morphed into one of the coolest communities that I have seen on the web. I love the commraderie and genuine helpfulness I see on these boards daily. I am really proud of this community and the things we have done is what any gamer would do for friends. And I really feel that we have a community of friends on this board.
-Lisa
Awwww...shucks... **sniff**
~gives a conniving grin~ Lisa, since we have been so good, does this mean that we get cookies? If we get cookies, does that mean we get milk too? ~thinks about what happens when you give a mouse (or gamer) a cookie~ Aw, come on! We deserve at least a cookie! ~holds out my greedy little paws~
~reads my previous post~ Ah, forget the cookies and milk! Give me pizza and beer! ~thoughtful look~ Wait, I don't drink! Could you make that pizza and sweet tea? ~conniving little smile~
Wow, it's not fun to fork over for replacement books, but at least they're replaceable. I'd be totally devastated if my campaign notebook, with maps, logs, and character sheets, was stolen or destroyed. What a nightmare. I hope you have enough of it in your head to rebuild! My sympathies!
This is very moving.
I've been playing D&D since the 1970's (one of the first several thousand gamers probably) & haven't seen anything like this since I can remember.
After a long hiatus from gaming due to that nasty ole thing about having to pay bills:) I've been considering getting back into gaming. I've been balancing it with feeling overwhelmed about the industry's trends, such as D20/3.5 (though loving the graphics), to remembering what a blast we use to have.
Sssooo, I've been reading postings & Dragon & Dungeon & your gesture of generousity & courtesy has sold me Lisa on Paizo & on returning to gaming!
Jarjaxle, I hope things work out for you. As others post; I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose all the years of work in a single shot due to some punk(s).
At any rate, I love the AOWAP & will probably snag up the STAP, which has some great ideas.
Grór (Mark)
“I do not know, ‘answered Gandalf; ‘but the arms were all guided by one purpose. Something has crept, or has been driven out of dark waters under the mountains. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.”
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Red Book of Westmarch, I, A Journey in the Dark, p. 323.
Hi Scott:
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Paizo would like to replace the Age of Worms Dungeon issues that you lost, and I think we can find copies of the Faerun map for you also. Send me an email at lisa@paizo.com and I will get those sent out to you right away. Hopefully the rest of the stuff will be replaced in time.
-Lisa
*Jaw hanging open catching flies*
That's it! I am signing up for a 3 year subscription right now! OUTSTANDING thing to do. Bravo!
*Raises ale mug in salute*
I got my first subsciption last year to make sure I got all the AoW path. My long-term renewal will be coming shortly.
Keep up the outstanding work.
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Unfortunately, I don't have enough money right now to subscribe. I would if I could, believe me! It's because of things like what Paizo/Lisa have done here that encourage me to stay a loyal, and extremely avid, reader of both Dungeon and Dragon. Sorry to hear about your loss, I have about 50 roleplaying books/materials that are worth more than the money they are printed on to me, only due to the satisfaction they bring me everytime I sit down and read them. So I understand how heart-breaking it can be. The smile on your face though, as you read the letter to replace your magazines would have eased the pain considerably. So well done to Paizo and good luck that these will stay with you for a longer time!
Everyone,
I just wanted you all to know that yesterday, when I came home from work; I had a very pleasant surprise waiting for me.
My wife informed me that the UPS guy had come there earlier and brought with him a package... from Paizo Publishing.
We both could not believe that Lisa at Paizo could have possibly responded so very quickly. I mean... it was only yesterday I sent her my address... We both ripped into the box and were so happy to discover, not only had she sent me every single issue of the Age of Worms Adventure Path, but she also managed to send me copies of all 4 of those Forgotten Realms maps that had come out in Dragon back in December of 2001!
We both just sat back, jaws open, and could not believe our eyes... You know, we watch the news at night and know how brutal humans can be to each other. It is simple acts of kindness like this that turn such tragedies into something so much better.
I know all my stuff was stolen, but what was replaced in its space, such wonderful memories of the kindness of strangers, will live forever in our hearts.
Lisa and Paizo, You have made me, my family, and our entire gaming group, lifetime fans. And you have my sincerest gratitude.
I will never forget your generosity,
Thank You,
Scott
Wow. Paizo rocks.
That's awesome, man. I love this game!
Who wants to make a bet that if this post was on the Wizards board nothing like this would have happened?