Unearthed Arcana

Infobox Book
name = Unearthed Arcana


image_caption = cover of "Unearthed Arcana"
author = Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, and Rich Redman
genre = Role-playing game
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
release_date = February 2004
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 224 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-7869-3131-0

"Unearthed Arcana" is the title shared by two hardback books published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Neither version of "Unearthed Arcana" should be confused with Monte Cook's "Arcana Unearthed".

1st edition rules

The original "Unearthed Arcana" (ISBN 0-88038-084-5) was written by Gary Gygax with major contributions by Jeff Grubb and Kim Mohan, and then published by TSR, Inc. in 1985. Announced by its author as "an interim volume to expand the "Dungeon Masters Guide" and "Players Handbook"",Gygax, Gary 1985. Demi-humans get a lift. "Dragon" 95:8, Mar 1985] it was written for use with the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" (a.k.a "1st Edition") rules. Divided into two sections (one for players and one for Dungeon Masters), the 128-page book provided new races, character classes, and other expansion material.

Although much of the material in "Unearthed Arcana" had previously appeared in "Dragon" magazine,Gygax, Gary 1983. The chivalrous cavalier. "Dragon" 72:6, Apr 1983] and was therefore familiar to many D&D players, TSR (and the RPGA) considered publication in a rulebook format necessary before the material could be used in tournament standard play.Mohan, Kim 1984. Out on a limb. "Dragon" 88:3, Aug 1984:8] "Unearthed Arcana", therefore, is the publication that made this material an official part of the AD&D game system.

The original "Unearthed Arcana" is noteworthy for the numbers of errors contained in its text. Even some positive reviews of the book pointed out the considerable number of mistakes.Farstad, Errol 1987. The Critical Hit. "Polyhedron Newzine" 38:8, 1987] An errata article was published in "Dragon" magazine,Mohan, Kim 1985. Arcana update, part 1. "Dragon" 103:12, Nov 1985] but the errata was not incorporated into later printings of the manual. [ [http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/lateradd.html Later AD&D Manuals ] ]

Gary Gygax intended to incorporate the material from "Unearthed Arcana" into revised versions of the "Players Handbook" and "Dungeon Masters Guide",Gygax, Gary 1985. The future of the game. "Dragon" 103:8, Nov 1985] but left TSR shortly after announcing the project.Gygax, Gary 1987. From the Sorcerer's Scroll. "Dragon" 122:40, Oct 1987] The new classes and character races were, in fact, left out of the next version of the "Players Handbook", as they were considered unbalanced by the AD&D 2nd Edition's designers.Winter, Steve 1989. Cure Light Wounds. "Polyhedron" Newszine 49:24, Sep 1997]

Interior illustrations were provided by Jeff Easley, Jim Roslof, Roger Raupp, Timothy Truman, and Jim Holloway.

Reception

Rating 4 out of 10, Unearthed Arcana was poorly reviewed in Issue 73 of White Dwarf magazine. The rules additions were felt to be uninteresting on the whole and unbalancing for gameplay. Weapons specializations and the new classes made characters too powerful and the new races, also very powerful, were almost unusable. [cite journal
last =Cockburn
first =Paul
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Open Box: Dungeon Modules
format = review
journal =White Dwarf
volume =
issue =Issue 73
pages =7
publisher =Games Workshop
year = 1986
month = January
url =
issn =0265-8712
accessdate = ]

3rd edition rules

The second book called "Unearthed Arcana" (ISBN 0-7869-3131-0) was written by Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, and Rich Redman, and published in 2004 by Wizards of the Coast, for use with the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragon rules. Where the original "Unearthed Arcana" had simply expanded the rules and options of the core game, this 224-page supplement was aimed at providing an extensive list of variant rules and options to change the standard game's baseline. In fact, the volume of options added were intentionally excessive. A DM who reads the book must be prepared to, quoting the book itself "Drink from the fire hose", or only use a few of the numerous variants. [Ryan, Michael 2004. [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20040207a Product Spotlight: Unearthed Arcana] , retrieved June 1, 2006]

References

* [http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/lateradd.html The Acaeum: Later AD&D Manuals] , retrieved June 1, 2006