Detours are Always Better

For over a year now, since my interest was piqued in the history of roleplaying games, in addition to trying to write a book on the subject, I have also been trying to bolster my collection of old D&D books. I consider my throwing out of my 1^st and 2^nd AD&D materials some years ago before I realised the value (nostalgic and commercial) the old stuff would acquire, to be one of my most miserable errors. So I am often on the lookout for old D&D stuff, but over the holidays I discovered that some of the coolest D&D moments occur at times and in places where you least expect them.

 

The family took a road trip this holiday to a part of the country known as the Eastern Cape. The quickest and straightest route back to Cape Town where we live follows almost exclusively a national road known as the N2 highway. This year however, massive bush fires aided by soaring temperatures and fanned by high winds forced the closure of the N2 on the day we were to return. An alternative route was needed. We decided on a new way home along a scenic road known as the R62. The route takes the traveller through an area of scrubland and mountains known as the “Little Karoo”. Its not as good a road as the N2 but the scenery is often breath-taking and desolate and punctuated by small interesting towns and villages offering coffee shops, curios and wine tasting to weary drivers and passengers.

 

After several hours of driving we chose a town with a population of less than ten thousand people, and a random coffee shop (The Blue Cow, if you’re ever in Barrydale) and stopped for a rest and a bite to eat. Not only was the food and drink excellent, the hospitality was warm as the sun that beat down on the veranda on which we sat overlooking the khoi pond. The owner informed us that there was a used book seller next door and so I took the opportunity to wander off and browse.

 

The bookshop was a wooden hut in which loose fitting, colourful clothes and incense were also for sale. When it came to books it was well stocked, both inside and out, with the works neatly and, with the exception of one book, accurately categorised. As I walked past the “Esoterica” section my eye fell immediately upon an almost pristine copy of the Second Edition AD&D Player’s Handbook. I know it’s not the Brown Box or an orange version of the Palace of the Silver Princess, but it’s one of the books I owned and threw away and I had to have it. I did the transaction as quickly as I could all the while attempting not to alert the alternatively dressed lady who ran the shop to the ridiculously low price for which it was on offer.

 

She asked me whether I was aware of what was in the book and I politely said that I had once owned it and was glad to find another copy. She was very friendly but seemed to be waiting to talk to me as I looked through the other sections with my new acquisition clutched firmly under one arm. Once the three other customers in the shop had left she sidled over to me. Placing one hand on my arm and looking me straight in the eye she whispered furtively “I must warn you, not all of the spells work”. I was at a loss for words and could only respond that I knew that and that it didn’t change my mind. Then she went on with her business obviously assured in her own mind that she was not guilty of any significant misrepresentation. I couldn’t stop chuckling as I made my way back to table where I drank a magnificent cappuchino while paging through the familiar pages of black text and blue artwork.

 

It amazing to me that so many events out of my control, conspired to place a copy of the book in my hands. Detours are a wonderful thing. I sincerely suggest you take them whenever you get a chance. We had a great holiday but the trip back and the saga of the PHB were a highlight, a silver piece that will remain in the belt pouch of my memory for a very long time.

 

We had almost made it home before it struck me that I had missed the most golden of opportunities. Maybe one day I will pack my 2e PHB, travel that road again, stop in that small town, go to the same coffee shop and ask the nice lady with the crystal around her neck to mark ,in my copy, the spells that actually do work.

 

When I told the story to a friend and fellow D&D player he thought about my account and then said confidently “Magic Missile……. Definitely Magic Missile ”. He’s probably right.