http://www.dndclassics.com

[8wGremlin]

New Digital Archive Resurrects Classic Dungeons & Dragons Adventures http://www.dndclassics.com

new site is open, from Wizards of the Coast and DriveThruRPG, current spike in interest has killed the site, but expect to see it up and running again...

boost the signal...

to wet your appitite heres an article about it http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2013/01/dndclassics/

[rot42]

That is fantastic, thank you for sharing!

Although it is whet (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whet) as in whetstone.

[Psyren]

I would gladly pay for a fully-searchable MoI/ToM/ToB. And a searchable PHB2/DMG2 while I'm at it.

[nedz]

Oh, we were already tracking this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268701).

Does anyone know if the PDFs are searchable ?

[TopCheese]

Well hot fricken damn that is fantastic!

Well I guess I need to say thank you to Paizo, they pushed WoTC and now WoTC is pushing back.

Yay healthy competition!

[Psyren]

Oh, we were already tracking this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268701).

Does anyone know if the PDFs are searchable ?

The Wired article says they are, all the way back to the 1e stuff.

[Zubrowka74]

A bit pricey for PDF, though.

[Taelas]

The free adventure (B1 In Search of the Unknown) is searchable, and it is a Basic module.

[killem2]

Oh, we were already tracking this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268701).

Does anyone know if the PDFs are searchable ?

I think Acrobat can scan the pages for words and make it searchable, so it should not be an issue if they don't save it by default!

[ericgrau]

I can't find any of the 3e or 3.5e core books. You'd think those would be kind of important when reviving 3e.

[Psyren]

I think Acrobat can scan the pages for words and make it searchable, so it should not be an issue if they don't save it by default!

It can but the OCR isn't perfect, especially if the scan is low quality. So it's always best to have WotC make it searchable themselves.

[TopCheese]

If only they would remake core by getting rid of some classes and replacing them...

Binder replaces Sorcerer
Dread Necro/Beguiler/Incarnate replaces the Wizard
Swordsage, Warblade, and Crusader replaces Monk, Fighter, and Paladin
Totemist replaces Druid

Need a good replacement for cleric and I think we would have a good core book.

Hmmmm

[Magesmiley]

I have to say I'm a bit cautious about buying into any pdf site that WOTC is involved with. They don't have a good track record. Anyone remember having less than a day's notice before their stuff on Paizo got voided? And those who failed to check their email on that particular day really got screwed.

I'd probably buy quite a bit of stuff myself if WOTC made some effort to make amends for those they screwed over when they yanked things over at Paizo. Until then, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

[nedz]

I can't find any of the 3e or 3.5e core books. You'd think those would be kind of important when reviving 3e.

They have the Rules Compendium — I would double check for the others, but their sites are down due to overloading. The did promise everything though, but they may not have finished uploading it all.

[Wonton]

Oh, we were already tracking this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268701).

Does anyone know if the PDFs are searchable ?

According to a poster in the corresponding thread (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pe7z?DD-PDFs-and-Paizo) on the Paizo boards, the PDFs are straight scans - not searchable, not hyperlinked.

[Psyren]

According to a poster in the corresponding thread (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pe7z?DD-PDFs-and-Paizo) on the Paizo boards, the PDFs are straight scans - not searchable, not hyperlinked.

The thread just says they're not hyperlinked - nothing about them not being searchable. In addition, the Wired article linked in the OP specifically says they ARE searchable. So I think you might be mistaken.

[nedz]

Well the sites are busy. Presumably this is because people are shopping ?
Has anyone bought one who can answer this question ?

[Wonton]

The thread just says they're not hyperlinked - nothing about them not being searchable. In addition, the Wired article linked in the OP specifically says they ARE searchable. So I think you might be mistaken.

He also uses the phrase "straight scans of the original hard copies", which would imply just flat unsearchable images. But hey, your article is probably a more trustworthy source than "some guy on the Paizo boards" - I'm just relaying information that's been posted elsewhere.

[Invader]

Things still seem a little pricy don't they? Am I going to pay $20 for a PDF of the PHBII when I can get a "very good" quality hard copy off amazon for $30 or a free one from a torrent or a digital copy on scribd?

[Psyren]

He also uses the phrase "straight scans of the original hard copies", which would imply just flat unsearchable images. But hey, your article is probably a more trustworthy source than "some guy on the Paizo boards" - I'm just relaying information that's been posted elsewhere.

I'm still not seeing how "straight scan" automatically means "not searchable." Modern scanners, particularly high-end ones, have the option to make documents searchable as they create them.
They often do a better job of it than software based OCR since they can control the quality of the scan rather than being forced to work with what they've got.

I don't know if all of them will be searchable but WotC would be fools not to seize upon this chance - it's a very quick and easy way to make the official pdfs more desirable than a poorly-scanned bootleg.


EDIT: Just checked some 3.5 previews myself and they're indeed searchable. And to the guy above me, right now PHB2 is $17, not $20.

[Invader]

EDIT: Just checked some 3.5 previews myself and they're indeed searchable. And to the guy above me, right now PHB2 is $17, not $20.

Ahh I actually meant the DMG2 but my question remains the same and actually I can get a hard copy of the DMG for $20 which makes $20 for a PDF even more expensive.

[TopCheese]

Ahh I actually meant the DMG2 but my question remains the same and actually I can get a hard copy of the DMG for $20 which makes $20 for a PDF even more expensive.

Well be that as it may but you will never spill Mt. Dew or get Doritoes on the PDF of the DMG II......
:smallbiggrin:

Just on your laptop/touchscreen whatever ... Which IS easier to clean....

[Psyren]

I agree I think they should top out at $15, but again, searchable is a big draw for me personally.

But these look like 50% off sale prices, if they revert to the regular ones (e.g. $35 for PHB2) then I'd be out at that point.

[Larkas]

Those prices might actually screw up the secondary market. If sellers see that the PDFs going for 20 bucks, they might decide that they're selling too low, and increase their own prices. If this happens, it might be some time before we reach a balanced market again. This might be good for the excessively expensive books, like the Compendiums, but will be terribly bad for the ones going for 9 bucks or so.

[killem2]

Sorry this is a rip off, from wotc.

Hinging the value on searchability which is croc of crap, because it is something that is just part of creating a pdf if they click a couple damn options.

Nothing should even break 10.00 imo. digital costs them almost nothing after the inital man hours. It's basicially pure profit.

[Zubrowka74]

Not to mention they probably have a lot of it already in digital format.... They only had to scan the old 70s and 80s stuff.

[Totally Guy]

But these look like 50% off sale prices, if they revert to the regular ones (e.g. $35 for PHB2) then I'd be out at that point.

Having used DriveThruRPG before (the sister site to D&Dclassics) the crossed out price is what the product would have cost as a physical book. It's a little confusing as it's a comparison with something different which they don't offer... well they have a print on demand service for certain products on their regular site.