Tolkien references carried over from the text of the OD&D booklets:
-The 1st print (Lizard Logo, Fall 1977) uses "hobbits" throughout. The 2nd print (Lizard Logo, Jan 78) changes most to "halflings" but still uses "hobbits" in five locations. By the 2nd edition (Wizard Logo, Nov 78) and later printings a sole reference to "hobbits" remains, in the description of the spell "Cure Light Wounds".
-Two references to Balrogs on page 14; discussed previously.
-A reference to the "Nazgul of Tolkien" in the Monster List entry for Spectre (pg 32), and to "Barrow Wights (as per Tolkien)" in the entry for Wight (pg 33). These are straight from the original entries for Spectre and Wight in OD&D, Vol 2 (Monsters & Treasure), pg 9.
-In the manuscript for the Basic rulebook, Holmes also included a reference to Tolkien in the entry for Orcs, drawn from the description of Orcs in OD&D, Vol 2, pg 7:
"There are several tribes or nations of orcs as described in Tolkien. Assignment can be made to one of these on a random basis".
The first printing of the published rulebook drops the "as described in Tolkien" and the second sentence entirely.
It's clear from the above that Holmes edited the Blue Book from one of the earlier printings of the OD&D rulebooks (i.e., prior to the removal of the Tolkien references). While all of these references were removed from the OD&D booklets, the only changes to the Blue Book were the deletion of the reference in the Orcs entry prior to the publication of the rulebook, and the change to "hobbits" after the first printing.
Tolkien references added by Dr. Holmes:
-"lawful werebear" (pg 7); most likely a reference to Beorn in The Hobbit; discussed previously.
-"Drego the thief" (pg 12). The name "Drego" is a very hobbit-sounding name; it is particularly close to Drogo, the name of Frodo's father in The Lord of the Rings.
-"The imaginary universe of Dungeons & Dragons obviously lies not too far from the Middle Earth of J.R.R. Tolkien's great Lord of the Rings trilogy" (pg 40); discussed previously.
-"Green Dragon Inn" (pg 41); discussed previously.
Tolkien reference added by TSR:
In the first printing of the rulebook, the catalog listing on page 46 includes:
BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES - Game of the great fantasy battle from "THE HOBBIT", pitting the forces of Good against the minions of Evil. Now in an illustrated, full-color box - including color mapboard, rules booklet, counters, and special die. $7.95
This entry was deleted from the product listing starting with the second printing in Jan 78. Presumably at this point TSR was no longer selling the Battle of the Five Armies game, having received a cease & desist letter in the fall of 1977.
This page derived from material originally posted on the ZA blog