Editor’s note: I ran into a reference to the R-series being created for D&D back in 1982, but new that BECMI never had an R-series. I asked ChatGPT to research it for me. The following is the result of that research. Remember to check all sources, because LLMs often hallucinate and give made up information. The rest of this article is from ChatGPT’s research.

I’ll dig into whether the ‘R’ series of modules for higher-level D&D players, mentioned in The Polyhedron #005 from around 1982, were ever officially published or developed by Gary Gygax for the RPGA. I’ll also look for any information on unpublished drafts, playtest materials, or whether these ideas evolved into other known modules. I’ll update you with my findings soon.

The RPGA “R” Series Modules – Plans, Publications, and Fate

Origins and Plans for the “R” Series in 1982

In early 1982, TSR’s RPGA (Role-Playing Gamers Association) announced a special series of AD&D modules, code-named the “R” series, intended for experienced or higher-level players. In Polyhedron #5 (April 1982), RPGA coordinator Frank Mentzer (with Gary Gygax’s oversight) revealed that two new tournament scenarios from Gen Con South 1982 would be released to RPGA members as modules R-5 and R-6 by that fall (Full text of “Dungeons & Dragons World – Magazines – Polyhedron Magazine”). This was part of a broader plan by Mentzer – who founded the RPGA under Gygax’s guidance – to create a whole lineup of exclusive RPGA modules. Gygax and Mentzer envisioned using the R-series to expand the World of Greyhawk setting with a new continent (Mentzer’s home campaign world of “Aquaria”). In fact, Mentzer initially intended the R-series adventures to take place on a distant Greyhawk continent called Aquaria (or “Aqua-Oeridian”), potentially forming the basis of a new Greyhawk boxed set (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia) (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom). This ambitious plan had the blessing of Gygax at the time, but it was only partially realized.

Officially Published “R” Series Modules (R1–R6)

TSR did produce and distribute several R-series modules in the early 1980s, though they were limited releases for RPGA members or Polyhedron readers rather than general retail products:

• R1 – To the Aid of Falx (1982): An AD&D tournament module by Frank Mentzer for characters level 5–9. This was the first RPGA module (used as a Gen Con South 1981 finals) (R Series) (R Series). R1 was officially released to RPGA members in 1982 (TSR stock #6060) and is noted as the first in the series (Full text of “Dungeons & Dragons World – Magazines – Polyhedron Magazine”).
• R2 – The Investigation of Hydell (1982): Another Mentzer AD&D adventure (levels ~3–5) that served as a tournament scenario (Mentzer notes Gygax himself play-tested it during the 1980 Masters Competition) (R Series). R2 went to print soon after R1 – Polyhedron #5 reported “R-2 is at the printer’s” by spring 1982 (Full text of “Dungeons & Dragons World – Magazines – Polyhedron Magazine”).
• R3 – Egg of the Phoenix (1982): A two-part epic by Mentzer involving a quest to recover a stolen artifact, with dungeon, wilderness, and interplanar challenges (R Series).
• R4 – Doc’s Island (1983): A sequel to R3 (using the same pre-generated characters) that was used as the AD&D Masters Tournament final at Gen Con XIV 1983 (R Series). It was known for its high difficulty (Mentzer described it as his idea of how hard it should be to obtain a paladin’s Holy Avenger sword (R Series)!).

Editor’s note: Advertisements and pictures of R1-R4 can be seen in Polyhedrion #9, if you can find a copy.

R1 through R4 were indeed written and distributed in limited form – they were mailed to five-year RPGA members or sold exclusively to RPGA subscribers. Each was a printed module (R1 was 16 pages; R2–R4 were 32 pages) with professional two-color maps (R Series) (R Series). These four modules later saw wider (if somewhat abridged) publication as module I12 Egg of the Phoenix (TSR 1987), which compiled and revised R1–R4 into a single volume (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia). (Mentzer, with Jennell Jaquays, updated them for this compilation.) Notably, while Mentzer’s original intent was to link them to Greyhawk’s Aquaria continent, TSR’s compiled version downplayed explicit Greyhawk ties – the new continent expansion was shelved by TSR after Gygax’s departure in 1985 (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom), so Egg of the Phoenix treats the adventures more generically.

• R5 – The Great Bugbear Hunt (tournament run 1982): An adventure by Frank Mentzer, described as a “pure wilderness” mission to retrieve a stolen spellbook from the “Bugbear Hills” (R Series). This scenario was used at Gen Con South 1982 and was intended for mid-level characters (~levels 5–7). Although announced in 1982, TSR never issued R5 as a standalone module in the early ’80s. It finally saw publication years later in Polyhedron #28 (1985) as an RPGA magazine adventure (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia).
• R6 – The 384th Incarnation of Bigby’s Tomb (tournament run 1984): An AD&D scenario by Mentzer that was eventually published in Polyhedron #20 (1984) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia). Interestingly, early plans for “R6” were different – Polyhedron previews in 1982 referred to a module called “Eye of the Bog” by Eric Shook, featuring higher-level PCs (one a bard, which in 1E AD&D implied very advanced level) on a multi-dimensional quest for their own identities (R Series). This Eye of the Bog adventure (billed as a challenging, high-level puzzle scenario) was slated as R6 (R Series), but it was never released. It appears Eye of the Bog was either never completed or dropped, and the “R6” slot was later filled by Mentzer’s Bigby’s Tomb tournament in 1984. In any case, R6 did not see print as a separate module; like R5, it reached fans only via its Polyhedron magazine publication.

Gary Gygax’s personal role in these modules’ development was limited – he was not the author of the R-series, but as TSR’s figurehead he supported the concept. Mentzer was the primary designer (often drawing from his own campaign ideas) and editor-in-chief for the RPGA’s publication. Gygax did endorse the effort to produce exclusive adventures for the RPGA and allowed Greyhawk to be used as a backdrop, but no R-series module was ever written by Gygax himself, and there are no known adventure manuscripts or design notes from Gygax specific to the R-series. In fact, R2 is notable for being judged by Gygax in a competition, but not written by him (R Series). Gygax’s influence was more about approving the concept and providing the Greyhawk context – once he left TSR in 1985, the momentum to officially integrate the R-series into Greyhawk vanished (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom).

Unpublished Modules and “Lost” RPGA Scenarios (R7–R10)

The R-series was originally supposed to continue into higher-level adventures, but modules R7 through R10 never saw any official publication. These four were collectively known as “The ‘Dwarven’ Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts,” an ambitious multi-part tournament saga Frank Mentzer created in 1982. According to Mentzer’s summary in the RPGA newsletter, R7–R10 formed a connected series spanning two conventions: Gen Con East II 1982 and Gen Con XV (1982) (R Series). The setup featured a pre-generated party of five dwarves and one human wizard embarking on a continent-spanning quest to reassemble the legendary Rod of Seven Parts (R Series). Mentzer noted this was some of the most grueling adventuring he’d ever designed, with R8 and R10 serving as the final-round scenarios at the respective conventions (R Series).

Despite being run as tournaments, these later R-series modules were never released to the public or RPGA members in print. Tournament participants would have seen them in play, and rough manuscript printouts were likely used by DMs, but TSR did not polish or publish R7–R10 afterward. A few details have surfaced in retrospect: for example, R7 “Dwarven Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts, Part 1” was used at Gen Con East II and was distributed only as a simple typewritten tournament module – it “was never reprinted” or sold, making it practically impossible to find today (R7: The ‘Dwarven’ Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts – RPGnet d20 RPG Game Index). The same is true for R8, R9, and R10 – all unpublished beyond their original con events (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia). No official TSR module codes or products correspond to these beyond the R7–R10 designations, and they remain something of a “lost legend” among collectors. (In Polyhedron #5’s news, Mentzer hinted at the scope of this saga but it was understood these were for the official tournaments rather than immediate member distribution.)

It’s worth noting that elements of these lost adventures did survive in oral tradition and later references. The Rod of Seven Parts artifact itself, of course, is a famous part of D&D lore dating back to 1976. Mentzer’s use of the Rod in the R-series was an early adventure treatment of that artifact, and this was acknowledged years later – sources note that “The ‘Dwarven’ Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts” by Frank Mentzer (1982) was an earlier scenario featuring the Rod (The Rod of Seven Parts – Wikipedia). However, the exact content of Mentzer’s R7–R10 remains unpublished. No known drafts or manuscripts from Gygax exist for these – any design notes would have been Mentzer’s own, and if those survive, they have not been released to the public. (Mentzer himself retained rights to his Aquaria setting, and decades later he indicated he had kept his old campaign notes, but TSR-era tournament files like R7–R10 have not been shared.)

Fate of the R-Series: Later Adaptations and Legacy

Ultimately, the grand plans for the R-series fell victim to TSR’s changing priorities and personnel turnover. After Gary Gygax was forced out of TSR in late 1985, Frank Mentzer’s Greyhawk-Aquaria expansion was abandoned by the company (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom). The envisioned Aquaria boxed set or module series never materialized. Instead, TSR opted to recycle or repurpose what had already been produced: as mentioned, R1–R4 were combined and released as I12 Egg of the Phoenix a couple years later, giving those adventures a wider audience (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia). Egg of the Phoenix can be seen as the final official appearance of R-series content in the D&D product lineup. It was slightly abridged and edited, but fans of the RPGA modules could recognize the scenarios from To the Aid of Falx through Doc’s Island within it (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia) (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom).

For R5 and R6, TSR never gave them standalone module treatment, but their publication in Polyhedron ensured the adventures weren’t completely lost. The Great Bugbear Hunt (R5) and Bigby’s Tomb (R6) thus exist as magazine adventures (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia), although they remain relatively obscure since Polyhedron had a smaller circulation. No further official reuse of these two occurred in later products. (They were not included in Egg of the Phoenix; that compilation focused on the earlier four-part saga only.)

The R7–R10 “Dwarven Quest” series had no direct official adaptation. However, the concept of the Rod of Seven Parts would re-emerge in a different form. In 1996, TSR published The Rod of Seven Parts, a massive second-edition AD&D boxed adventure, and around the same time a novel by Douglas Niles titled The Rod of Seven Parts featured the artifact (The Rod of Seven Parts – Wikipedia). These later products were new creations unrelated to Mentzer’s 1982 tournament modules, aside from drawing on the same artifact’s lore. Essentially, TSR revisited the powerful artifact but did not draw on Mentzer’s specific storyline or characters – the 1996 boxed set was written by Skip Williams, with a whole new narrative. So while one might say the idea of a multi-part quest for the Rod lived on, it wasn’t a direct continuation of the R7–R10 material, just a fresh take on the artifact’s mythos.

In the gaming community, the R-series is often discussed in hindsight as a curiosity of the early 80s. Interviews and magazine retrospectives have occasionally shed light on it. For example, Polyhedron itself ran an article summarizing the RPGA modules and giving synopses of R1–R10 (with Mentzer’s commentary) (R Series) (R Series) – this was likely published in a mid-1980s issue of Polyhedron as part of RPGA news, letting members know what these modules were about. Collectors’ sites like the Acaeum document the basic facts: that R1–R4 were RPGA exclusives later revamped as I12, and that R5–R10 were tournament modules (with R7–R10 unprinted beyond those events) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia). Frank Mentzer himself has commented in forums about Aquaria and the R-series plans. He confirmed that those modules were based on his home campaign and that TSR shelved the Aquaria expansion after 1985 (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom). In recent years, Mentzer even attempted to revive his Aquaria setting independently (under the name “Empyrea”), indicating he still has the creative material, but that is outside official D&D canon.

In summary, the “R” series modules were a real but short-lived experiment by TSR to provide high-level and tournament-caliber adventures to RPGA members. Several were written and used (R1–R10), but only the first half saw any form of publication – R1–R4 in limited release (later compiled in Egg of the Phoenix), and R5–R6 via magazine. The later installments R7–R10 were planned and even played at conventions, but never officially published, largely due to TSR’s shift in focus after Gary Gygax’s ouster. Gary Gygax did not personally author these modules; they were primarily Frank Mentzer’s brainchild, with Gygax approving the concept as part of expanding Greyhawk. When those plans collapsed, the R-series quietly faded away. Some of its ideas lived on – notably the collected R1–4 adventures and the enduring allure of the Rod of Seven Parts – but the modules themselves remain an intriguing piece of D&D history that never fully hit store shelves.

Sources:

• Mentzer, Frank. “Notes From HQ.” Polyhedron #5 (1982) – RPGA news announcing upcoming modules R-5 and R-6 (Full text of “Dungeons & Dragons World – Magazines – Polyhedron Magazine”).
• Polyhedron RPGA Bulletin – Frank Mentzer’s overview of the R-series modules and their content (c. 1983) (R Series) (R Series).
• Wikipedia – List of D&D Modules (RPGA “R” series summary) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia); Frank Mentzer biography (Frank Mentzer | Dungeons and Dragons Wiki | Fandom).
• RPGnet Database – Entry on R7: Dwarven Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts (notes its tournament-only status) (R7: The ‘Dwarven’ Quest for the Rod of Seven Parts – RPGnet d20 RPG Game Index).
• The Acaeum – Collector information on RPGA modules (notes on R5/R6 in Polyhedron, R7–R10 unpublished) (List of Dungeons & Dragons modules – Wikipedia).
• D&D Artifacts – Rod of Seven Parts history (mentions Mentzer’s 1982 tournament use of the Rod) (The Rod of Seven Parts – Wikipedia).