, ▁they ▁had ▁signed ▁up ▁additional ▁exclusive ▁European ▁distribution ▁rights ▁– ▁in ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁apparent ▁absence ▁of ▁any ▁other ▁European ▁companies ▁from ▁that ▁convention ▁– ▁for ▁many ▁American ▁publish ers ▁that ▁were ▁still ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁stage ▁of ▁their ▁development . ▁Trad itional ▁board g ames ▁such ▁as ▁Mon opol y ▁and ▁Sc rab ble , ▁whilst ▁continu ing ▁to ▁be ▁covered ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁expansion , ▁were ▁never ▁sold ▁through ▁the ▁magazine . ▁ ▁Although ▁D & D , ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁modern - day ▁commercial ▁role - play ing ▁game , ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁to ▁Britain ▁no ▁later ▁than ▁Aut umn ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁such ▁playing ▁groups ▁and ▁soci eties ▁as ▁existed ▁within ▁the ▁country ▁were ▁still ▁on ▁a ▁local ▁basis ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁or ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁sometimes ▁co - ex isting ▁with ▁traditional ▁w arg aming ▁soci eties . ▁The ▁a for ement ioned ▁exclusive ▁deal ▁with ▁T SR ▁thus ▁gave ▁Games ▁Work shop ▁increased ▁imp et us ▁to ▁promote ▁their ▁flags hip ▁product ▁through ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁nation wide ▁D & D ▁society , ▁which ▁they ▁carried ▁out ▁through ▁the ▁pages ▁of ▁O w l ▁and ▁We as el . ▁The ▁society ▁was ▁first ▁proposed ▁in ▁issue ▁# 9 , ▁but ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁commence ▁until ▁issue ▁# 1 2 . ▁This ▁further ▁increased ▁the ▁role - play ing ▁content ▁of ▁the ▁publication , ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁included ▁variant ▁rules ▁and ▁short ▁ess ays ▁on