Trading Cards
Trading Cards or Collector Cards were a series of trading cards published by TSR, Inc. between 1991 and 1993. The cards adhere to 2nd-edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, and were released in three separate yearly series.
Description
The Trading Cards were released in three yearly sets between 1991 and 1993. Each set consists of two different series, and the 1992 and 1993 sets feature additional promotional and rare cards in addition to the main set.
- 1991 Trading Cards: 750 cards
- 1992 Trading Cards: 750 + 11 promotional cards
- 1993 Collector Cards: 495 + 60 rare cards
Packaging
The cards originally came in small foil-wrapper sets of 16 cards each. They contained cards of varying rarity.
Later, after all cards in a series had been published, a "Factory Set" was issued, containing all of the cards (pictured above).
Cards
Each individual card has the dimensions 63 × 88 mm (2.5 × 3.5 inches), and is printed on cardboard,[1][2] with the exception of promotional cards included with issues of Dragon magazine.[3]
The front of each card features art, either re-used from other TSR products, or original to the Trading Cards.[4] The art is outlined by a thick, solid-color border,[3] the color of which varies depending on series and/or rarity.[4] The border of each illustration on the card indicated the rarity of each particular version of the card or whether it was from a factory set.
| Color | Significance |
|---|---|
| Silver | Cards from factory sets[4] |
| Gold | Cards from booster packs[4] |
| Red | Rare version of common cards in the 1993 set[5] |
| Black | 1992 GenCon set[6] |
Publishing History
The Trading Cards were first introduced by TSR employee James Ward in issue #160 of Dragon magazine, as an insert of 17 cards. Mostly based on popular characters from various AD&D novels and video games, this insert of "rookie cards" was intended to test the waters for a potential trading card product line. If the Dragon insert proved popular, Ward wanted to release yearly series of cards, featuring both popular TSR artwork and characters, as well as characters and creatures found nowhere else.[3]
These trading cards were followed by a collectible card game (CCG) announced in the August 1994 issue of Dragon magazine (Dragon #207) called wikipedia:Spellfire: Master the Magic. It included cards based on many of TSR's game worlds, including the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, and Greyhawk settings.[7]
Reception
The cards sold very well at the time of their release and were successful for the run of the series. After 1993, TSR (the IP holder at the time) decided to change their model, paralleling the more popular Trading Card Game (TCG) model revolutionized by Wizards of the Coast with their eminently popular Magic: the Gathering game, which had also been introduced in 1993.
Especially in later years, there was rumbling of disapproval of some of the art. In 1991, the first released set used art that had graced the covers of TSR products of all different types. The design team first worked on the assumption that so many fans had expressed interest in knowing about characters on the covers of books, they'd like information about them in the trading cards. The reuse of art from book covers was criticized, but the interest in book cover characters has always continued. This idea has been reiterated by Wizards of the Coast in more recent products, confirming players' interest in knowing who or what is depicted in art.[8] Though still bought in the millions, there were some who expressed discontent with seeing "recycled" art. Despite remarkably successful sales in the first year, the editors decided in subsequent years to concentrate more on custom art for the cards.
List of cards
The collection of ADD&D Trading Cards is over 2,000 items.
In order to keep the page concise, this article and the tables below only list the cards which are relevant to the World of Greyhawk™.
| Greyhawk | Other setting |
1991 series
| # | Name | Setting | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | Quiver of Ehlonna & Bow | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 77 | Seragrimm | Greyhawk | Rare-2 |
| 78 | Drendar | Greyhawk | |
| 109 | Salem Ironring | Greyhawk | |
| 110 | Bartolus Menk | Greyhawk | |
| 111 | Donorow | Greyhawk | |
| 112 | Borak | Greyhawk | |
| 145 | Boccob's Blessed Book | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 177 | Princess Linea | Greyhawk | |
| 178 | Hettman Dorbin Tsurin | Greyhawk | |
| 179 | Mika | Greyhawk | |
| 180 | Sysania | Greyhawk | |
| 197 | Bucknard's Everfull Purse | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 214 | Griffon | Greyhawk | |
| 215 | Waldo | Greyhawk | |
| 223 | Zadoc | Greyhawk | |
| 224 | Tyrinon | Greyhawk | Rare-2 |
| 299 | Mist Wolf | Greyhawk | |
| 300 | Sea Zombie | Greyhawk | |
| 301 | Swordwraith | Greyhawk | |
| 304 | Quagmiela, Green Dragon | Greyhawk | |
| 305 | Kilian | Greyhawk | |
| 321 | Tysiln San | Greyhawk | |
| 345 | Emerentia, Gold Dragon | Greyhawk | |
| 346 | Anuirin | Greyhawk | |
| 355 | Trystan | Greyhawk | |
| 356 | Miles | Greyhawk | |
| 357 | Thorvid | Greyhawk | |
| 359 | Yara | Greyhawk | |
| 363 | Keoghtom's Ointment | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 367 | Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 409 | Trent | Greyhawk | |
| 482 | Azalin | Ravenloft | |
| 494 | Mordenkainen | Greyhawk | |
| 532 | Vampiric Mist | Greyhawk | |
| 537 | Sabrita, Shadow Dragon | Greyhawk | |
| 539 | Crypt Thing | Greyhawk | |
| 572 | Kech | Greyhawk | |
| 574 | Hook Horror | Greyhawk | |
| 635 | Murlynd's Spoon | AD&D 2nd Edition |
1992 series
| # | Name | Setting | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Beastman | Greyhawk | |
| 13 | Bonesnapper | Greyhawk | |
| 16 | Dragonnel | Greyhawk | |
| 21 | Anton's Vorpal Blade | Greyhawk | |
| 24 | The Fisher's Trident of Fish Command | Greyhawk | |
| 26 | Tulen's Plate Mail of Etherealness | Greyhawk | |
| 28 | The Modified Talisman of Zagy | Greyhawk | |
| 29 | Gax's Sphere of Annihilation | AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| 30 | Quaal's Mystical Feather Token | Greyhawk | |
| 57 | Vordraz | Greyhawk | |
| 59 | Wulgar Harrowsun | Greyhawk | |
| 71 | Grey Agathena | Greyhawk | |
| 77 | Pandaro (The Fox) | Greyhawk | |
| 83 | Jennak Firehand | Greyhawk | |
| 91 | Terilonilae Tai-Koris | Greyhawk | |
| 94 | Aeshallara Corwin | Greyhawk | |
| 104 | Pyn Trillos | Greyhawk | |
| 106 | Dohnibor | Greyhawk | |
| 109 | Brogan Steele | Greyhawk | |
| 120 | Checklist: 81–120 | Greyhawk | |
| 145 | Louie Dulama's Alchemy Jug | Greyhawk | |
| 150 | Theodolus's Cloak of Arachnida | Greyhawk | |
| 155 | Korr's Book of Infinite Spells | Greyhawk | |
| 165 | Mordenkainen | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 166 | Bigby | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 167 | Nystul | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 168 | Otto | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 169 | Drawmij | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 170 | Otiluke | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 171 | Rary the Traitor | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 172 | Tenser | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 173 | Jallarzi Sallavarian | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight |
| 175 | Tasup | Greyhawk | |
| 192 | Joshua DeSaville | Greyhawk | |
| 194 | Kiara of Chendl | Greyhawk | |
| 198 | Belladonna Glasei | Greyhawk | |
| 201 | Fizbot Soulhammer | Greyhawk | |
| 202 | Grott Whakdit | Greyhawk | |
| 207 | Fedorana | Greyhawk | |
| 213 | Ray-el | Greyhawk | |
| 215 | Sir Tolam | Greyhawk | |
| 220 | Raz | Greyhawk | |
| 224 | The Resplendent Crynar Randal | Greyhawk | |
| 225 | Denderorn | Greyhawk | |
| 263 | Phandore's Wand of Fire | Greyhawk | |
| 264 | Osmal's Staff of the Woodlands | Greyhawk | |
| 302 | Lyssa Kuballa | Greyhawk | |
| 308 | Forsythe | Greyhawk | |
| 314 | Korr Breakstone | Greyhawk | |
| 329 | Kamal the Quiet | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 330 | Faelirith | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 331 | Stormsmith | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 332 | Osmal Havendish | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 333 | Theodolus | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 339 | Vigir Jarlsson | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 342 | Nikelti | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 343 | Twissa the Bent | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 348 | Khareef | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 354 | Grendena | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 355 | Phandore Oaktree | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 356 | Cain Blizzard | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 357 | Glenola Oaktree | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 359 | Checklist: 401–440 | Greyhawk | |
| 372 | Mist Dragon - Great Wyrm | Greyhawk | |
| 373 | Skulk | Greyhawk | |
| 375 | Grung | Greyhawk | |
| 379 | Mite | Greyhawk | |
| 380 | Necrophidius | Greyhawk | |
| 383 | Wethilion's Time Bomb | Greyhawk | |
| 405 | Eye of Vecna | AD&D 2nd Edition | Mini-series: Artifacts |
| 406 | Hand of Vecna | AD&D 2nd Edition | Mini-series: Artifacts |
| 414 | Garril Sotman | Greyhawk | |
| 417 | Willara | Greyhawk | |
| 432 | Stephie | Greyhawk | |
| 439 | Snythe Clobertin | Greyhawk | |
| 447 | Irongrod | Greyhawk | |
| 515 | Hwesta's Talisman of Memorization | Greyhawk | |
| 526 | Greyhawk Dragon | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Dragons |
| 527 | Cloud Dragon | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Dragons |
| 543 | Pyros Silverbane | Greyhawk | |
| 545 | Saskan | Greyhawk | |
| 550 | Stobon | Greyhawk | |
| 556 | Wethilion | Greyhawk | |
| 562 | Kekond | Greyhawk | |
| 563 | Lecitalma | Greyhawk | |
| 564 | Snorpocis | Greyhawk | |
| 568 | Ginsese | Greyhawk | |
| 569 | Dovanalo | Greyhawk | |
| 574 | Logan | Greyhawk | |
| 580 | Amuro | Greyhawk | |
| 585 | Thalessa | Greyhawk | |
| 596 | Solus of the Dim Forest | Greyhawk | |
| 599 | Checklist: 521–560 | Greyhawk | |
| 618 | Hook Horror | Greyhawk | |
| 619 | Taer | Greyhawk | |
| 620 | Sea Zombie | Greyhawk | |
| 623 | Pax's Medallion of Spell Exchange | Greyhawk | |
| 664 | Barnabas | Greyhawk | |
| 668 | Gratillonius | Greyhawk | |
| 671 | Kramer Haldus | Greyhawk | Rare |
| 672 | Malfea Magekiller | Greyhawk | |
| 683 | Jallin / Teela | Greyhawk | |
| 709 | Hwesta "Breeze" | Greyhawk | |
| 712 | Louie Dulama | Greyhawk | |
| 713 | Gordon Shumer | Greyhawk | |
| 735 | Thalios (Maltus Vindir) | Greyhawk | Promo only |
| 743 | Abbolt Nebbathra | Greyhawk | Promo only |
1992 GenCon promo set
| # | Name | Setting | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Gh'alar | Greyhawk Adventures |
1993 series
| # | Name | Setting | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Green Lady Nenioc | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Women of Fantasy |
| 48 | Dural of the Iron Hills | Ravenloft | [notes 1] |
| 49 | Vadarin | Ravenloft | [notes 2] |
| 54 | Marska Armstrong | Greyhawk | |
| 93 | De'Naire Pruhl | Greyhawk | |
| 96 | Allaranzal | Greyhawk | |
| 99 | Golgomere | Greyhawk | [notes 3] |
| 102 | Trehuger of Gnarley Wood | Greyhawk | |
| 116 | Kyuss, Son of | Greyhawk | |
| 160 | Zander of the Iron Hills | Greyhawk | [notes 4] |
| 161 | Kelth of the Iron Hills | Greyhawk | [notes 4] |
| 182 | Scarecrow | Greyhawk | |
| 183 | Spanner | Greyhawk | |
| 186 | Ashley's Net of Entrapment | Greyhawk | |
| 217 | Tara Armstrong | Greyhawk | |
| 246 | Kyrie's Mask of Disguises | Greyhawk | |
| 249 | Helena Armstrong | Greyhawk | |
| 260 | Kyrie | Greyhawk | |
| 269 | Marissa Octavia Tancred | Greyhawk | |
| 270 | Janus "Bad Penny" Winthwil | Greyhawk | |
| 272 | Flynn Oakplume | Greyhawk | |
| 295 | Morgan's Half Plate Horse Barding +1 | Greyhawk | |
| 307 | Morgan Ravenstar | Greyhawk | |
| 315 | Ashley the Grey | Greyhawk | |
| 328 | Killian | Greyhawk | |
| 352 | Bradlie's Leather Armor +1 | Greyhawk | |
| 355 | Gnaash's Hat of Stupidity | Greyhawk | |
| 366 | Lythia Elaewyn | Greyhawk | |
| 367 | Chubbukoku | Greyhawk | |
| 369 | Vilarus the Showman | Greyhawk | |
| 370 | Jarnia "Nimblefingers" | Greyhawk | |
| 377 | Otter | Greyhawk | |
| 385 | Checklist: 331–385 | Greyhawk | |
| 388 | Sir Duane Govindana | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 389 | Ahlaege | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 390 | Shadow | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 391 | Sheerah Nissassa | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 392 | Captain Gahalatine Bascher | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 393 | Dorian | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 394 | Draga | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 395 | Arant Quovant Garday | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 396 | Charissa | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Alliance of Defiance |
| 398 | Giant-kin, Voadkyn | Greyhawk | |
| 400 | Needleman | Greyhawk | |
| 406 | Karelia's Wand of Illusion | Greyhawk | |
| 415 | Bradlie Tagart | Greyhawk | |
| 424 | Ferret | Greyhawk | |
| 437 | Noland Tagart | Greyhawk | |
| 440 | Checklist: 386–440 | Greyhawk | |
| 451 | Kingdom of Furyondy | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 452 | The Great Kingdom | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 453 | Horned Society | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 454 | Lands of Iuz | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 455 | The Kingdom of Nyrond | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 456 | The Shield Lands | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 457 | Archclericy of Veluna | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 458 | The Free City of Greyhawk | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 459 | Viscounty of Verbobonc | Greyhawk | Mini-series: Arms of Greyhawk |
| 473 | Karelia Cogrinder | Greyhawk | |
| 481 | Phil Krisp | Greyhawk | |
| 486 | Gnaash | Greyhawk |
1993 rare set
| # | Name | Setting | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Loran | Greyhawk |
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ Dural is the Father of Zander(#160) and Kelth(#161), and pursued Vadarin(#49) from Greyhawk into Ravenloft
- ↑ Vadarin was pursued by Dural(#48) from Greyhawk into Ravenloft.
- ↑ Although Golgomere himself is a Greyhawk character, his hammer(#240) is labeled Forgotten Realms.
- ↑ a b Zander(#160) and Kelth(#161) search for their missing father, Dural(#48).
References
Citations
- ↑ Trading Cards (1991), p.1.
- ↑ Trading Cards (1993), p.495.
- ↑ a b c "Trading Cards!". Dragon #160 (Aug 1990), p.(pullout insert).
- ↑ a b c d "The Game Wizards: Secrets of a trading card guru". Dragon #184 (Aug 1992), p.66-70.
- ↑ "The Game Wizards: Oh, no—it's the 1993 TSR collector cards!". Dragon #193 (May 1993), p.71-73.
- ↑ Trading Cards (GenCon 1992), p.1.
- ↑ "The Game Wizards: The SPELLFIRE card game". Dragon #207 (Jul 1994), p.56-57.
- ↑ "Creature Feature: Thessalar". Dragon+, October 2019. Accessed October 2019. Available online: [1] "Earlier editions did not always carry this information. For the reader, this often led to a small mystery as to what these covers were portraying ..."
Bibliography
- Ir'revrykal, and Daranios, et al. “Trading Cards.” Forgotten Realms Wiki, Fandom.com, 13 Mar 2016, 13:09. Available online. (view authors))
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image |
|---|