Header Modules                                             Home Up

Modules featuring a cardboard header glued or stapled to the shrinkwrap, with the D&D or AD&D logo and some other advertising.  These were distributed to large retailers (such as Toys 'R' Us) and were designed to be hung on a rack.  Yet another attempt to clear overstock, much like the 10th Anniversary Combo Packs -- though in this case, the modules chosen were some of the most popular written.

A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity by David Cook
B2 Keep on the Borderlands by Gary Gygax
B4 Lost City by Tom Moldvay
D1-2 Descent Into the Depths by Gary Gygax
EX1 Dungeonland by Gary Gygax
EX2 Land Beyond the Magic Mirror by Gary Gygax
I4 Oasis of the White Palm by Philip Meyers and Tracy Hickman
L2 Assassin's Knot by Len Lakofka
MSOLO1 Blizzard Pass by David Cook
MSOLO2 Maze of the Riddling Minotaur by Jeff Grubb
S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks by Gary Gygax
WG4 Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun by Gary Gygax
X3 Curse of Xanathon by Douglas Niles
X4 Master of the Desert Nomads by David Cook
X5 Temple of Death by David Cook

Header modules for the Basic Rules (B2, B4, MSOLO1) are red; those for the Expert Rules (MSOLO2, X3, X4, X5) are blue; for AD&D (A1, D1-2, EX1, EX2, I4, L2, S3, WG4), orange.


Printing Information Logos

There was but a single identifiable printing of each header module.

  • A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity:  Identified as a Fourth print on the A page.  Orange header, glued to shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a Third print.

  • B2 Keep on the Borderlands:  Identified as a Seventh print on the B page.  Red header, glued to shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a Sixth print.

  • B4 Lost City:  Identified as a Second print on the B page.  Red header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • D1-2 Descent Into the Depths:  Identified as a Fifth print on the D page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a Fourth print.

  • EX1 Dungeonland:  Identified as a Second print on the EX page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • EX2 Land Beyond the Magic Mirror:  Identified as a Second print on the EX page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • I4 Oasis of the White Palm:  Identified as a Second print on the I page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • L2 Assassin's Knot:  Identified as a Second print on the L page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • MSOLO1 Blizzard Pass:  Identified as a Second print on the MSOLO page.  Red header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • MSOLO2 Maze of the Riddling Minotaur:  Identified as a Second print on the MSOLO page.  Blue header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks:  Identified as a Seventh print on the S page.  Orange header, glued to shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a Sixth print.

  • WG4 Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun:  Identified as a Second print on the WG page.  Orange header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • X3 Curse of Xanathon:  Identified as a Fourth print on the X page.  Blue header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a Third print.

  • X4 Master of the Desert Nomads:  Identified as a Second print on the X page.  Blue header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

  • X5 Temple of Death:  Identified as a Second print on the X page.  Blue header, glued to the shrinkwrap.  Module itself, separate from the header, is indistinguishable from a First print.

A1 header B2 header B4 header D1-2 header EX1 header EX2 header I4 header
             
L2 header MSOLO1 header MSOLO2 header S3 header WG4 header X3 header X4 header
 
X5 header

Thanks to Adrian Newman for the scan of B2 and L2, Michael Deaton for the scan of B4, EX1, I4, X4, and X5, Mike Kuo for the scan of EX2 and S3, and Jeff Philbrick for the scan of WG4.


Auction Commentary

Header modules are significantly rarer -- and often sell for several times more -- than their headerless brethren.


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