OD was published in 1985. Avalon Hill trademarked it as their “metaphysical card game” and “elemental force card game”…”A unique blend of skill and chance.” What is an od? “An od is an element of theoretical force. By bringing the ods into balance, one may reach perfection in the metaphysical world. All of life is seeking after such balance. So too is this game.” I’m not exactly sure what that means. Yes, a well-balanced life sounds like a good thing, until one starts nit-picking about what exactly is being balanced. At any rate, OD is a good game, though it would have been better if published with the original components. In what were probably cost cutting moves, two standard 6-sided dice were substituted for the original 6, 8, 10 and 12 sided dice and the number of thief cards was cut down from the initial 20 to a measly 6. The cards themselves are heavy stock but definitely not standard durable playing card stock and they are much worse for wear over the years.