Archiving Question

[ocium]

Hi everyone,

I have a question please, about an archiving headache I'm having.

I have a pile of PDFs and I'm more than a little confused about the best way to archive them I'm hoping someone can help me out with.

I started my filing hierarchy with D&D/AD&D editions (AD&D 1.0E, AD&D 2.0E, D&D 3.0E, D&D 3.5E, D&D 4.0E).
From there, I divided the files into Sourcebooks (Rules, Accessories & Supplements) and Modules/Adventures.

Originally, I tried to separate accessories from supplements and separate adventures from campaigns, but it was just too confusing, so I opted for lumping them together.

The problem I'm all tangled-up with right now is the D20 system; I'm not sure when exactly it kicked-in (D&D 3.0E, D&D3.5E, D&D 4.0E) and how to differentiate D20 modules with regards to D&D editions.

It's driving me nuts.

Is my filing hierarchy fundamentally flawed?
Can someone please suggest a better filing system or offer direction with regards to a resource that details D20 materials and the specific D&D edition they were released for?

Thank you for your consideration :smallsmile:

[Captnq]

I would type, LIST OF DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS RULE BOOKS into google and then that would bring up THIS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_rulebooks).

Which would be a list of every official D&D rule book.

Everything before July 2003 is 3.0. Everything July 2003 and beyond is 3.5 until it starts 4th edition in June 2008.

[Gemini476]

I'd suggest the following system, although you're already mostly using it:

Dungeon's & Dragons [edition number here]
-Supplements [folder] (Include Web Enhancements and errata either here or in subfolders)
-Adventures [folder]
-Settings [folder]
--[Setting Name] [Folder]
---Supplements
---Adventures
---Main setting rulebooks
-Main rulebooks

And so on. Split other D20 games into their own folders, since something like Mutants & Masterminds is so different from 13th Age is so different from d20 Modern. Same goes for third-party supplements, although that could be within the folder of the relevant edition.
Dragon and Dungeon probably deserve their own folders, since they're massive. Subfolders, to fit them within the relevant editions. Perhaps.

Most d20 games are probably meaning the 3.X system, since the OGL was a lot freer back then. I'm not aware of anything in particular that was published under the 4E version of the license.


Is there anything in particular that is annoying you, sorting-wise?

[KillianHawkeye]

The d20 System began with 3rd Edition. However, all official WotC products coincide with a specific edition/version of D&D, so it shouldn't be too hard to sort them.

I'm guessing you're dealing with approved 3rd Party supplements that were released under the d20 System banner? In those cases, they ought to indicate which version of D&D they are compatible with, or else they are standalone. Either way, I personally would lump each 3rd Party system into its own folder and not necessarily put them with other D&D official products.

[ocium]

Thank you kindly for you prompt responses :smallsmile:

I'm not sure I asked my question clearly enough; I'm not having any problems filing TSR AD&D/D&D materials, just the open license D20 materials and figuring-out how to integrate them into my TSR archive.

I thought about separating D20 from TSR proper, just wasn't sure it was the way to go?

For example;
Sovereign Press' D20 Dragonlance module "Holy Order of the Stars".
It seems to make some sense to file it with all the other Dragonlance materials (TSR AD&D 2.0E), but it is made for D&D3.5E.
Um, hence my confusion...

[Gemini476]

Thank you kindly for you prompt responses :smallsmile:

I'm not sure I asked my question clearly enough; I'm not having any problems filing TSR AD&D/D&D materials, just the open license D20 materials and figuring-out how to integrate them into my TSR archive.

I thought about separating D20 from TSR proper, just wasn't sure it was the way to go?

For example;
Sovereign Press' D20 Dragonlance module "Holy Order of the Stars".
It seems to make some sense to file it with all the other Dragonlance materials (TSR AD&D 2.0E), but it is made for D&D3.5E.
Um, hence my confusion...
Dragonlance had a 3.5 version as well, y'know. It wasn't "official" D&D Material, but it was published with permission of WotC. I think it's more official than the 3.5 Dark Sun stuff, but I'm unsure.

So basically, [directory]/D&D 3.5/Dragonlance/Third Party.
If it's third party, that is.
I don't remember who did DL in 3.5.

[ocium]

Hello again,

Thank you for your replies; I'm still trying to fully understand them to tell the truth.

I was about to set aside d20 from TSR (AD&D1.0, AD&D2.0, D&D3.0, D&D3.5, D&D4.0), but then I ran into a bunch of TSR D&D3.0 materials that use the d20 system;

TSR11550 - Player's Handbook.pdf
TSR11647 - Hero Builder's Guidebook.pdf
TSR11742 - Gazetteer.pdf
TSR11743 - Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.pdf
TSR11829 - Sword and Fist; A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks.pdf
TSR11835 - Psionics Handbook.pdf
TSR11840 - Defenders of the Faith; A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins.pdf
TSR11845 - Tome and Blood; A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers.pdf
TSR11850 - Manual of the Planes.pdf

... which made me wonder, are there any d&D3.0/3.5 materials that are NOT d20?

I mean, if that is the case then my file structure should be;
AD&D1.0e
AD&D2.0e
d20 (D&D3.0e, D&D3.5e)
D&D4.0e

and not (what it currently is);
AD&D1.0e
AD&D2.0e
D&D3.0e
D&D3.5e
D&D4.0e
d20

[KillianHawkeye]

A) Everything made for D&D 3 and 3.5 is a d20 System product.

B) WotC made D&D 3, not TSR.

[Rhynn]

TSR11550 - Player's Handbook.pdf
TSR11647 - Hero Builder's Guidebook.pdf
TSR11742 - Gazetteer.pdf
TSR11743 - Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.pdf
TSR11829 - Sword and Fist; A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks.pdf
TSR11835 - Psionics Handbook.pdf
TSR11840 - Defenders of the Faith; A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins.pdf
TSR11845 - Tome and Blood; A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers.pdf
TSR11850 - Manual of the Planes.pdf

Your PDFs are using the wrong numbering scheme. Defenders of the Faith is WTC11840, not TSR11840 - TSR, Inc. ceased to exist in 1997, well before any D&D 3E material was published (starting in 2000). In short, there's no such thing as "TSR d20 system" ("d20 system" here referring to the system underlying D&D 3E and covered by the OGL and SRD).

Googling TSR11840 brings up a few links to filesharing sites etc., and a link to a page with the correct numbering (WTC11840).

Not smooth, asking on this forum about almost-certainly-pirated PDFs. :smallwink:

[ocium]

Thank you KillianHawkeye for your clarification :smallsmile:

Slight oversight on my part to not notice that WoTC continued using TSR SKU/Stock Numbers when they first bought-out TSR, before they swapped to WTC SKU's.

I'm really happy that I can now continue filing with a clear conscience (OCD is a demanding mistress) :smalltongue:

[ocium]

Thank you Rhynn for your reply,

I have checked the ISBNs/SKUs on my PDF's and you are right about some of them being wrongly filed (TSR prefix vs. WTC prefix).

I'm a little confused though;
My PDF versions of
Gazetteer, published 2000 under WoTC banner uses the TSR SKU prefix (TSR11742)
http://www.tomeoftreasures.com/tot_second_edition_home/greyhawk/tsr11742_greyhawkgazeteer.htm

Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, published 2000 under WoTC banner uses the TSR SKU prefix (TSR11743)
http://www.tomeoftreasures.com/tot_second_edition_home/greyhawk/wtc11743_livinggreyhawkgazetteer.htm

does this mean that they are altered pirated PDFs? (why on earth would someone change a SKU prefix?)

[ocium]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to wrap this thread up (maybe? hopefully)

Thank you all for your replies, which have helped me to understand more about AD&D/D&D/d20 RPG systems, and enabled me to come to grips with a filing system I'm (semi) happy with.

I was very confused with the changes that took place when WoTC bought-out TSR; the whole OGL/OGC thing made filing... complicated.
More overly, it was a typical WoTC being as random as a mad woman's footprints when it comes to their own filing systems which provided me the biggest challenge.

I may be mistaken, but it seems that WoTC went through 3 SKU formats for their d20 products;
Originally, they continued to utilize the existing TSR SKU format (e.g. TSR11550). Once the stock numbers hit the 118xx mark, they changed the SKU prefix from TSR to WTC, whilst still retaining the same number of digits (e.g. WTC11829).
Seems like a little further down the line, they 'thought big' and added enough extra digits to make their system infinitely expandable (e.g. WTC179210000). Third time lucky :smallsmile:

So here's my revised d20 D&D3.0e list (may it please you Rhynn, and your piratical inference is forgiven, but not forgotten);

TSR11550 - Player's Handbook.pdf
TSR11647 - Hero Builder's Guidebook.pdf
TSR11742 - Gazetteer.pdf
TSR11743 - Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.pdf
WTC11829 - Sword and Fist; A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks.pdf
WTC11835 - Psionics Handbook.pdf
WTC11840 - Defenders of the Faith; A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins.pdf
WTC11845 - Tome and Blood; A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers.pdf
WTC11850 - Manual of the Planes.pdf
WTC11857 - Song and Silence; A Guidebook to Bards and Rogues.pdf

I'm starting to wonder about the wisdom of filing under SKU; I'm spending more time trying to verify SKUs than I am actually filing... could be counter productive :smallannoyed: