RPGA Series

RPGA SeriesR1 - R4

Limited-edition modules produced exclusively for members of the RPGA Network. Each were previously used at GenCon AD&D Open tournaments.

R1 To the Aid of Falx by Frank Mentzer

R2 Investigation of Hydell by Frank Mentzer

R3 Egg of the Phoenix by Frank Mentzer

R4 Doc's Island by Frank Mentzer

According to author Frank Mentzer, these modules are set in the World of Greyhawk, though on the continent opposite the one in the published campaign setting. The plan was to eventually incorporate them into another World of Greyhawk set, as part of an "Acquaria" or "Aqua-Oeridian" campaign; plans that ended when Gary Gygax left TSR in 1985. Thanks to Brett Easterbrook and Frank Mentzer for this info.

The modules were later tied together with a weak plot into I12 Egg of the Phoenix (and with some severe distortions to the originals), and made available to the general public.

Pre-publication versions of R1, R2, and R3, signed and numbered by Frank Mentzer, were used and sold at various GenCon conventions: R1 at GenCon East in 1981 (final round), R2 at GenCon East in 1981 (opening round), and R3 at GenCon 14 in 1981. A pre-publication version of R4 was used at GenCon 14 (1981), but never publicly released. (R1 and R2 were originally used at earlier conventions, but no copies from those tournaments were distributed to the public). R2 was originally titled "Part 1", though we don't know if the "Part 2" ever existed. R3 was originally titled "Part 1: The Caves of Northending". It was the first round of that respective GenCon 14 AD&D tournament; Round 2 was "R3 Egg of the Phoenix Part 2: The Last Egg". Unlike Part 1, Part 2 was not released outside the tournament, and we assume play copies were retrieved from the DMs after the Con. Round 3, incidentally, was R4 Doc's Island, and is a loose sequel to the prior two.

Author Frank Mentzer notes that most of these modules were returned to TSR unsold, and destroyed. We're currently logging surviving copies of the pre-publication versions, similar to what we do for Lost Tamoachan and Ghost Tower of Inverness; see the Printing Information below for the registries.

Six additional modules in the R series were used in AD&D tournaments, but never released to the general public. A page describing those modules can be found here.

Printing Information

All of these modules have but a single printing.

Frank Mentzer believes that 2,500 copies of each color-cover version were printed, with only 250 to 500 of each actually being sold (with R2 Investigation of Hydell selling the least). The rest of the modules were pulped. (With NM copies of these selling for around $1,000 each today, this represents around $8 million sent to the shredder - not counting the pulped copies of the pre-publication versions!)

Thanks to Frank Mentzer, Kevin Wilson, and Adrian Newman for help with this info.

R1 To the Aid of Falx

Pre-Publication (1981): Single-sided, 20 looseleaf photocopied pages from a dot-matrix-printed original, stapled once in the upper left. Did not come shrinkwrapped, but each came in a plain white envelope (with a dot-matrix sticker centered on it, indicating the title and serial number). It is believed that 100 copies were printed. Registry of copies currently accounted for (12 total so far): Original Copy, #3, #6, #8, #16, #18, #20, #36, #44, #51, #72, #80. Add your copy to this list (cover scan required for verification).

Color Cover (1982): Originally came shrinkwrapped.

R2 Investigation of Hydell

Pre-Publication (1981): Single-sided, looseleaf photocopied pages from a dot-matrix-printed original, stapled once in the upper left. Did not come shrinkwrapped, but each came in a plain white envelope (with a dot-matrix sticker centered on it, indicating the title and serial number). It is believed that 100 copies were printed. Registry of copies currently accounted for (4 total so far): #3, #15, #19, DM's copy (unnumbered & unsigned, in original RPGA envelope, sold by James Ward in 2022). Add your copy to this list (cover scan required for verification).

Color Cover (1982): Originally came shrinkwrapped.

R3 Egg of the Phoenix

Pre-Publication (1981): Single-sided, 23 looseleaf photocopied pages from a dot-matrix-printed original, stapled once in the upper left. Did not come shrinkwrapped, but each came in a plain white envelope (with a dot-matrix sticker centered on it, indicating the title and serial number). It is believed that 100 copies were printed. Registry of copies currently accounted for (11 total so far): #4, #13, #28, #35, #37, #42, #51, #57, #71, #79, #100. Add your copy to this list (cover scan required for verification).

Color Cover (1982): Originally came shrinkwrapped.

R4 Doc's Island

Pre-Publication (1981): Single-sided, 30 looseleaf pages, dot-matrix-printed, stapled once in the upper left. Did not come shrinkwrapped, nor did this have an original white envelope. Of the copies that were used at (at least two) tournaments, most were retrieved from the tournament DMs after the Con; a few did escape this and are floating around. They are unsigned and unnumbered. Additionally, we've spotted three authenticated cover sheets of R4 pre-pub, and they're all slightly different -- indicating the cover sheets, at least, were generated and printed anew for each tournament it was used at.

Color Cover (1983): Originally did not come shrinkwrapped.

Thanks to Adrian Newman for the scan of R1 and R1 (pre-pub), to David Wall for the scan of R2 (pre-pub), and to William McCarthy for the scan of R3 (pre-pub).

Please note that we have digitally altered the pre-publication module scans in order to remove their serial numbers (as an anti-counterfeiting measure, since these modules would be relatively easy to forge). Please contact us if you need to verify a module.

Current Market

These modules, like their RPGA-series cousins, are extremely rare. The pre-publication versions of R1 - R3 (of which only 100 of each were ever printed, and many have apparently been destroyed) are among the rarest of all D&D collectibles. For the pre-publication versions, "SW" equates to the presence of the original white envelope.

Being an unpublished tournament version, we do not offer an estimated value for the R4 pre-pub.

The following represents The Acaeum's current valuation of these items, dependent upon condition (multiply by 3x-10x if shrinkwrap is present). Values are updated at the beginning of the month, provided there were new public sales. Click the titles to view active eBay auctions!

	Fair	Good	VGood	Fine	VFine	NMint

R1 To the Aid of Falx (Pre-Pub)	Fair$1019	Good$1834	VGood$2446	Fine$3057	VFine$3669	NMint$4077
R1 To the Aid of Falx	Fair$222	Good$399	VGood$533	Fine$666	VFine$799	NMint$888
R2 Investigation of Hydell (Pre-Pub)	Fair$979	Good$1762	VGood$2350	Fine$2937	VFine$3525	NMint$3916
R2 Investigation of Hydell	Fair$323	Good$581	VGood$774	Fine$968	VFine$1161	NMint$1290
R3 Egg of the Phoenix (Pre-Pub)	Fair$780	Good$1404	VGood$1872	Fine$2341	VFine$2809	NMint$3121
R3 Egg of the Phoenix	Fair$315	Good$567	VGood$755	Fine$944	VFine$1133	NMint$1259
R4 Doc's Island	Fair$393	Good$708	VGood$944	Fine$1180	VFine$1416	NMint$1574