Pathfinder Beginner Box homage to TSR Basic Sets

 
     Homage: "a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic"

     I previously placed the new Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box as the latest in 35 years of D&D Basic Sets. Paizo appears to have the same view based on the dedication in the Table of Contents in the Hero's Handbook in the set, which goes out to the editors of the first three D&D Basic Sets:

     "This game is dedicated to J. Eric Holmes, Frank Mentzer, and Tom Moldvay" 

     Thanks to jeffb and Azafuse on the OD&D Discussion forums for (respectively) bringing this to my attention and providing the quote. See the thread for further discussion  including a link from kesher to a discussion on the Paizo message boards about using the BB with kids.

     Also, The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope blog has a generally positive review of the set where he writes that "My immediate impression was that of the old Holmes’ basic set".

     I noticed that the cover art of the BB by Wayne Reynolds features two adventurers, a spellcaster and a warrior, facing off against a dragon sitting on its hoard of gold, including a treasure chest, in a dungeon of cut stone: many of the same elements as the original Basic Set cover art by David Sutherland. The Pathfinder spellcaster's raised fiery hand even mimics the original wizard's raised hand with torch. Click here for a large image provided the BB cover provided by Paizo for use as computer wallpaper.

     So the BB pays homage to the Holmes Basic Set by both simple declaration (the dedication) and by oblique artistic reference (the cover).

      In some ways the Beginner Box resembles yet a different TSR Basic Set: the 1991 New, Easy to Master D&D Game designed by Timothy B. Brown and Troy Denning, known colloquially as the Black Box. This fourth version of the Basic Set essentially served as an intro for the contemporary Rules Cyclopedia (1991) developed by Aaron Allston. Like the Beginner Box, the Black Box came in a big rectangular box, included a large set of paper minis, and covered character levels 1-5. 

     If anyone finds any other allusions to previous Basic Sets in the Beginner Box, please post them here.