tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post102081991320542916..comments2024-03-28T17:48:19.196-05:00Comments on The Other Side blog: Classic Adventures Revisited: B1 In Search of the UnknownTimothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-29120334346514517962020-02-06T18:53:42.016-06:002020-02-06T18:53:42.016-06:00B1 has a very special place in my heart. It is one...B1 has a very special place in my heart. It is one of the few modules I can specifically remember buying when I was young, and it was the first module I ever bought.<br /><br />I had gotten Moldvay Basic for Christmas in December 81, and was hooked by the end of the year (yeah, D&D snared me inside a week, but then, I'd been wanting to play it for years).<br /><br />So while B2: Keep on the Borderlands was the first module I ran, I quickly searched for the next challenge as a fledgling DM and for my players.<br /><br />Turns out my first D&D purchases were actually at a Hallmark shop in Marquette Mall in Michigan City, instead of in the game shop at Century Mall in Merrillville, where I had ogled the Holmes edition and other earlier D&D products for several years. I got out to Michigan City usually once a week, Merrillville maybe every other month (being all of 12 at the time, I did not have my own wheels yet).<br /><br />So I searched the mall for a source for D&D, as I had not found one yet, and my Dad said why not check Hallmark, which at the time was also a bookstore. I had never thought to look there before, but sure enough, they had an area where they had several D&D products.<br /><br />I goggled at the Dungeon Master's Guide for several turns before deciding I wasn't quite ready for that, and looked over the modules. It was the mushroom forest cover that really caught my eye, plus the "Special Instructional Module" blurb that sealed the deal, as I felt I still needed some help figuring things out -- after all, it wasn't until the fourth or fifth session that I realized that I needed to roll hit points for the monster's hit dice; I just ran them with that many hit points!<br /><br />While Moldvay had a ton of good advice on building and running an adventure, it was In Search of the Unknown that really helped me put it all together. As an "adventure kit," it had just the mix of pre-made and add-your-own elements to bridge the gap from running everything prepared to learning how to create and run your own.<br /><br />While I do not open every campaign with B1, I almost invariably use it at some point in a campaign, either in whole or just the map or something in between. It is just too good not to use.<br /><br />I'll have to consider picking up the POD; mine is covered with decades of notes, soda stains, dog-ears, and the weight of the years. Definitely well loved.<br />James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510782553325944558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-26666472479218170552020-02-06T09:17:49.176-06:002020-02-06T09:17:49.176-06:00A fascinating look at B1 In Search of the Unknown....A fascinating look at <b><i>B1 In Search of the Unknown</i></b>. I have written a whole series of reviews about this module and those that have been inspired by it.<br /><br />http://rlyehreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/B1%20Seriespookiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09521454715536568847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-9610627348926286312020-02-05T19:59:11.258-06:002020-02-05T19:59:11.258-06:00This is one of the few classic modules that I have...This is one of the few classic modules that I haven't played yet. My first modules were Keep on the Borderlands and Palace of the Silver Princess. I keep meaning to give B1 a shot.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116795932377593506noreply@blogger.com