I have been talking online with a lot of people who are doing the same thing I am; running the Classic Modules from 1st Edition using the new D&D 5 rules. So I thought I would post a summary and talk about where I am going next.
The Background
The characters all belong to a group known as the Order of the Platinum Dragon. They are mostly made up of the children of the DragonSlayers (my 3.x game). They began their adventure like so many others....or so they thought.
Here are the adventures in chronological order (links take you to the blog post where I talk about their game).
T1 Village of Hommlet (forgotten by the characters, played as a flashback)
B1 Into the Unknown
B2 Keep on the Borderlands
L1 The Secret of Bone Hill
X2 Castle Amber
I6 Ravenloft
C2 Ghost Tower of Inverness
A1-5 Slave Lords
C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan
G123, G4 Against the Giants (where we are now)
Then we do:
D12, 3 Descent into the Depths of the Earth, Vault of the Drow
Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits
(Q2) Queen of Lies
CM2 Death's Ride
H4 Throne of Bloodstone
The adventure began in The Inn of the Welcome Wench (T1). Here they discover the main plot of the "Cult of Chaos", but a battle with Lareth the Beautiful and Bargel left their memories wiped and two of their party missing (the Warlock Croulie and the Pyromancer Cynder). The remaining party delved into the Castle Quasqueton (B1) and it's dungeons where they discover one of the Chaos Stones. This leads to a vision/memory of a long ago battle. They travel to the nearby Keep (B2) where they take on some hirelings, Uno, Duo, Tres, Quatro and their leader Cinco ("played" by Danny Treo) to investigate the Caves of Chaos. Here they discover a temple dedicated to ancient demon god and more on the Cult of Chaos.
They then traveled to the monastery on Bone Hill (L1) and a group of missing wizards. Again there is a rumor of the Cult of Chaos, but also the involvement of several "Hyena Men".
Following the trail of the Hyena Men, the party is sucked up in a mysterious fog, here they find themselves in a strange land (actually the past) and a strange Castle (X2). More knowledge is gained about the Dawn War and for the first time they hear the phrase "Beware the Endless Darkness". Here they meet up with the "wizard" (actually a warlock) Skylla. They travel the mists for a while till they come upon the Villiage of Barovia and the terrifying Castle Ravenloft (I6). They stop Strahd and his plans to blot out the sun, but not before Skylla is taken away by an army of ghosts.
They meet up with another party and tackle the famed Ghost Tower of Inverness (C2). They recover the Soul Gem and hear the phrase "Beware the Endless Darkness" again.
Leaving the Ghost Tower they hear rumors once again of the Hyena-Men (Gnolls and Gnoles) and a slaving operation. They have long suspected, but now get confirmation that Gnolls are servants of a Demon Lord (keep in mind my players don't have the wealth of history of D&D we all do). They also find out that the slaves are all being transported elsewhere by human agents. They discover the Cult of Chaos is also behind this operation and the Drow, long forgotten, are also involved.
The Order manages to destroy the slaver operation and even convince an Earth Dragon and Red Dragon to reawaken the dormant volcano to destroy the island. Before leaving the island with rescued slaves the Earth Dragon (an actual dragon) tells them to "beware the coming darkness".
Returning the slaves to the Duchy of Urnst they see the Sun go completely black.
The sun is out and there is a council of the greatest mages (ie their characters from the 3.x game) in Greyhawk. The plan is worked out to relight Moradin's Forge. It's light and life giving heat will keep everyone alive till the sun can be put right. In the meantime the world is besieged by monsters and undead. The Council of Greyhawk scrys for any remaining sun-related magic items. Even the Sunsword from Ravenloft is out. The party is sent to a jungle (C1) because an artifact is found there that is related to the sun. The "artifact" is the dying Mystarian Sun God (Immortal) Ixion, whom the characters knew better as "Cinco". He and his four brothers were all gods of the sun, they were killed by vampire god Camazotz. Cinco/Ixion gives the character his heart, Camazotz was not able to get it in time, to use to relight Moradin's Forge.
With the world now on life-support, the Council sends groups of adventures all over the world to find out what is going on. The Order of the Platinum Dragon is sent to investigate raids made by some giants...
They know they are fighting against the clock. Moradin's Forge is a powerful artifact that the gods used to create life, but once it is lit any one can use it. Undead are swarming all over. New monsters and monstrosities are everywhere and the Priests of the Sun gods are powerless.
Chaos, it seems, is winning.
What happens next is now up to my players and their characters.
Showing posts sorted by date for query castle amber. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query castle amber. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Thursday, April 28, 2016
A to Z of Adventure! X is for Expert.
This is not some attempt to grift the Challenge. The Expert Set adventures were given the code X.
Of course, the most famous of these is X1, The Isle of Dread.
I got this adventure along with my Expert set back in the early 80s. It is an obvious King Kong homage, but it is a great one. It is another one of those adventures that people keep coming back to time and time again.
Maybe second only to B2 and B1 in terms of numbers of players, but The Isle of Dread is one of the best Basic-era adventures out there. In today's frame of mind the adventure is equal parts Pirates of the Caribean, King Kong, and Jurassic Park. It is a heady cauldron of tropes, ideas and just plain crazy fun. It was included in the original Expert set and it still had expanded maps and more creatures. I never understood why the creatures where not just in the main book, but it did make the module special.
What was so nice about X1 over B2 is you had the feel it was more integrated into the Expert rules; it felt like a logical extension.
This is also the first published adventure I ever ran for my son. Up to this point I had ran ones I had made up for him. He was young (6 or 7) and adventures like "Cave of the Stinky Goblin" or "Trouble in West Haven" were more appropriate for him. But X1 had the great big dinosaur on it and he loved dinosaurs.
We had a blast. To me, 20 some odd years later, it felt like a very different adventure. There is a lot of untapped potential here. Enough for several adventures really.
Later on I bought my son his own copy to run sometime. It was also the first time that my kids began to recognize Tom Moldvay's name on the covers of adventures.
X2: Castle Amber
Another one of my "holy grail" items. I managed to score a copy when I moved to Chicago.
There is so much to love about this adventure, but I have detailed it all before in these pages.
- Castle Amber by Candle Light
- Castle Amber, Butterbeer and the Order of the Platinum Dragon
- Averoigne via Ravenloft
- and I explore the Castle Amber / Ravenloft connection here.
The other X modules came out a bit later and were more tied to the newer Frank Mentzer-edited Expert Set, as opposed to the Cook-Marsh-edited set I had owned. (I guess these modules should have really been called "E" for expert then). Of these I only later owned Quagmire. I got it cheap at a used book store in Carbondale, IL. I completely gutted the module and only kept the tower and swamp.
X3 Curse of Xanathon
X4 Master of the Desert Nomads
X5 Temple of Death
X6 Quagmire!
X7 The War Rafts of Kron
X8: Drums on Fire Mountain
X9: The Savage Coast
X10 Red Arrow, Black Shield
X11 Saga of the Shadow Lord
X12 Skarda's Mirror
In particular, I would like to get print copies of X4 and X5 for my Second Campaign game. Saga of the Shadow Lord also sounds like a lot of fun!
This is my problem...too many great games/adventures and so little time.
Friday, April 15, 2016
A to Z of Adventure! M is for Masters Series
The Masters series of adventures were created for the BECMI version of D&D. Typically around here I have BECMI as roughly synonymous with B/X D&D or "Basic D&D" well....the M or Master Series is around to remind me that this is not really the case.
So a bit history.
The first Basic Set was authored by John Eric Holmes in 1977. Gamers often call this "Blue Book Basic".
The next Basic Set was written by Tom Moldvay and was followed by the Cook/Marsh Expert Set. These books are collectively known as B/X.
The next set would be the last "Basic D&D". It was written and edited by +Frank Mentzer and included the Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters and Immortal sets. Also known as BECMI.
Each set detailed more levels of the game; 1-3, 4-14, 15-25, 26-36, and Immortality, respectively.
The Masters set and M series of modules were designed for experienced players and characters of 26th level and higher.
Only five M series modules were made.
| Code | Title | Levels | Author(s) | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Into the Maelstrom | 25–30 | Bruce Heard, Beatrice Heard | 1985 | |
| M2 | Vengeance of Alphaks | 28–32 | Skip Williams | 1986 | |
| M3 | Twilight Calling | 30–35 | Tom Moldvay | 1986 | |
| M4 | Five Coins for a Kingdom | 28–32 | Allen Varney | 1987 | |
| M5 | Talons of Night | 20–25 | Jannell Jaquays | 1987 |
Of these I only own M1, M3 and M5.
The simple matter is few characters get to this high of a level and often when they do the DM usually has their own adventures for them.
M1 Into the Maelstrom is a cool adventure with flying ships which became some of a fasination for +Bruce Heard. If I were to play this one I would naturally have to include material from Bruce's own Calidar, In Stranger Skies setting. Or set it in Calidar...hmmm this gives me some ideas.
M3 Twilight Calling is from the creative mind of the late Tom Moldvay. Tom is something of a celebertiy in my home games. Every adventure I have run of his my family likes. Likes enough to ask who wrote it. After saying Tom Moldvay for the third time (Castle Amber, Isle of Dread, Lost City, Secret of the Slavers Stockade...). It is my favorite M series module and has the players go on a plane-hopping adventure to finally get to the Plane of Nightmares. I have often thought it would make for a perfect "Final Adventure" for any party.
M5 Talons of Night by Jannell Jaquays is also fun, and really deadly adventure. I grabbed it becuase of the dragon on the cover. If M3 is the finale for my "Come Endless Darkness" game then M5 should be the finale of my "Dragonslayers" game.
Plus, it always reminds me of this song.
I mentioned H4 with it's 18-100 level range, and it is deadly. But that adventure is just really a scaled up 20th level adventure. These adventures are qualitatively different.
I am just disappointed that they are not available yet on DriveThruRPG as PDFs, though I am glad I have mine.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Review: Curse of Strahd (D&D 5e)
Quick question. Who played Dracula?
Your answer might depend on a lot of thing from when you first saw Dracula in a movie to your age to what your cultural background is. I also bet that the choice of actor might also say something about your gaming choices, but I am not getting into that today.
Like Dracula, who keeps coming back from the grave to scare or charm a new generation, Strahd the Vampire and his home in Ravenloft keep coming back for each version of the D&D game.
You can easily buy a Ravenloft product to fit any version of D&D you like. There have been subtle changes with each round of designers and editors. To extend the Dracula movie metaphor more, I6 Ravenloft is "Hammer Horror" (Christopher Lee). 2e Ravenloft Domains of Dread (boxed sets and books) were "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (Gary Oldman). 3rd Edition was split between Wizards own Expedition to Castle Ravenloft ("Dracula 2000," Gerard Butler) and the Ravenloft setting from White Wolf/Arthaus (Lestat movies). 4e's board game, Undead books and Shadowfell books were different enough that these are more like the NBC TV series Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).
This new book is "Dracula Untold" (Luke Evans).
I have converted Strahd to a couple of different systems myself. I have been playing in Ravenloft, the castle and the land, since the original module came out in 1983. I played it when it first came out and it is one of maybe three adventures I have run under every version of D&D I have ever played. Ravenloft has history both in game and in the real world. It was my world of choice in the AD&D 2e years and the effect it has had on adventure design can't be overstated. To call it a sea change is not hyperbole.
So the new 5e Ravenloft has a lot to live up too.
I mentioned here back in the Summer that I was going to run the original I6 Ravenloft adventure for my family at Gen Con 2015. I spent most of July prepping for that, working out Strahd's 5e stats, converting the major magic items, filling in some details. None of it was hard work really. Again I *know* this adventure like few others. The hardest part was balancing out what has become the de rigueur method of handling a D&D 5 encounter with the more plot-driven nature of the Ravenloft adventure. Having this new Curse of Strahd book then would have helped me out a lot.
The new book is a retelling of the same I6 Ravenloft adventure from 1983. On the down side there is not much about the "Demi-Plane of Dread" as we knew it back in 2e. This is more 4e Shadowfell. Including it as part of the Shadowfell actually gives the DM more flexibility to be honest. So that is good. I did not notice much from the disappointing 3e Expedition to Castle Ravenloft here. So that is also a plus.
The book itself is hardcover, full color, 256 pages. Suitable for levels 1 to 10 for D&D 5. The "Castle Ravenloft" adventure itself has been upgraded to level 9.
The first 90 pages or so are some introductions, some background and the updates Castle Ravenloft adventure. There is an introduction and forward here too. The subtle snark directed at the likes of Twilight in Tracy Hickman's forward can't be missed. There is a page on how to run a horror-themed game. It's nice, but nothing new and by no means complete. If you really want to run a horror game find a copy of +Kenneth Hite's "Nightmares of Mine" or Spooky: The Definitive Guide To Horror Gaming.
The book is basically a sandbox, with Castle Ravenloft (the place and the adventure) in the "middle". It is designed for adventurers from 1st to 10th level. There are a few really interesting "side treks" including the low level "Death House", the medium level "Argynostholt" and the high level "The Amber Temple". Death House is available for free from WotC. So I would grab that first if you are on the fence about this.
Souls vs. Shells
One of the new "features" of this book is the idea that not everyone in Barovia has a soul. Now if you were playing this as a horror game then this would be a truly frightening concept. The scenarios that are implicit in this are numerous. Hapless villagers moving through their lives in drudgery, unfeeling save for a pervasive dread. Or worse yet the same said villagers coming to the PCs begging them to find their lost souls. Or PCs born in Barovia discovering they are among the "Soulless Shells". Sadly though as a D&D game I see this only working as an excuse for PCs to murder bystanders.
There are some interesting character options, like the new Haunted One character background. The iconic magic items like the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind are here too. As well as the Tome of Strahd. The Gothic Trinkets are a really nice touch to be honest.
There are some new monsters too. The is a fantastic full color tear out map of Castle Ravenloft (roughly 32" by 24") on one side and Barovia on the next.
I think in the end I was hoping for more. Maybe not so much as a repeat of the 2e Ravenloft Domains of Dread campaign world, but something...more.
There will be a Tarokka deck you can buy later.
http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/tarokka-deck
I think I still have my 2e one around somewhere, but I prefer to use Tarot cards myself.
You can read the table of contents here.
http://tribality.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/01_CoS_TableofContents_4s09.pdf
I got excited when I saw that "Barovian Witch" listed under NPCs and had hoped to see an update to the 2nd Ed "Witches of Hala" but sadly this was not the case. But it has given me some ideas.
Ok bottom line time. Who should buy this and who should avoid it?
Buy this if...
You are a fan of Ravenloft and want to have a complete collection.
You are a fan D&D 5e and want to have a complete collection.
A fan of adventure design and want to see how a 1st ed to 5th ed conversion can be done.
If you are planning to ever run Ravenloft under 5e.
Like the idea of playing in the Barovian sandbox. This is actually a big one to be honest.
Avoid if...
You are not planning on running the classic Ravenloft adventure.
You are not playing D&D 5e.
Want to do your own conversion of one of the many options out there for taking on Strahd in his castle.
There are no new classes or races. Not even rules for playing a Vistani.
There are no new spells or rituals either. This seems like a bigger miss to me.
In the end you have to decide for yourself. I am certainly not someone that needs tips on playing horror game, nor am I going to run Ravenloft (the adventure) under 5e (already did it) and don't need help converting. There isn't anything here I could not have done on my or haven;t already done on my own. But I got it anyway. Hopefully there will be a sequel for levels 11-20.
Just like Dracula, Strahd can (and will) come back. There are even details in the book about how it happens. So maybe a sequel is already in the works?
Now that would be fun!
Your answer might depend on a lot of thing from when you first saw Dracula in a movie to your age to what your cultural background is. I also bet that the choice of actor might also say something about your gaming choices, but I am not getting into that today.
Like Dracula, who keeps coming back from the grave to scare or charm a new generation, Strahd the Vampire and his home in Ravenloft keep coming back for each version of the D&D game.
This new book is "Dracula Untold" (Luke Evans).
I have converted Strahd to a couple of different systems myself. I have been playing in Ravenloft, the castle and the land, since the original module came out in 1983. I played it when it first came out and it is one of maybe three adventures I have run under every version of D&D I have ever played. Ravenloft has history both in game and in the real world. It was my world of choice in the AD&D 2e years and the effect it has had on adventure design can't be overstated. To call it a sea change is not hyperbole.
So the new 5e Ravenloft has a lot to live up too.
I mentioned here back in the Summer that I was going to run the original I6 Ravenloft adventure for my family at Gen Con 2015. I spent most of July prepping for that, working out Strahd's 5e stats, converting the major magic items, filling in some details. None of it was hard work really. Again I *know* this adventure like few others. The hardest part was balancing out what has become the de rigueur method of handling a D&D 5 encounter with the more plot-driven nature of the Ravenloft adventure. Having this new Curse of Strahd book then would have helped me out a lot.
The new book is a retelling of the same I6 Ravenloft adventure from 1983. On the down side there is not much about the "Demi-Plane of Dread" as we knew it back in 2e. This is more 4e Shadowfell. Including it as part of the Shadowfell actually gives the DM more flexibility to be honest. So that is good. I did not notice much from the disappointing 3e Expedition to Castle Ravenloft here. So that is also a plus.
The first 90 pages or so are some introductions, some background and the updates Castle Ravenloft adventure. There is an introduction and forward here too. The subtle snark directed at the likes of Twilight in Tracy Hickman's forward can't be missed. There is a page on how to run a horror-themed game. It's nice, but nothing new and by no means complete. If you really want to run a horror game find a copy of +Kenneth Hite's "Nightmares of Mine" or Spooky: The Definitive Guide To Horror Gaming.
The book is basically a sandbox, with Castle Ravenloft (the place and the adventure) in the "middle". It is designed for adventurers from 1st to 10th level. There are a few really interesting "side treks" including the low level "Death House", the medium level "Argynostholt" and the high level "The Amber Temple". Death House is available for free from WotC. So I would grab that first if you are on the fence about this.
Souls vs. Shells
One of the new "features" of this book is the idea that not everyone in Barovia has a soul. Now if you were playing this as a horror game then this would be a truly frightening concept. The scenarios that are implicit in this are numerous. Hapless villagers moving through their lives in drudgery, unfeeling save for a pervasive dread. Or worse yet the same said villagers coming to the PCs begging them to find their lost souls. Or PCs born in Barovia discovering they are among the "Soulless Shells". Sadly though as a D&D game I see this only working as an excuse for PCs to murder bystanders.
There are some interesting character options, like the new Haunted One character background. The iconic magic items like the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind are here too. As well as the Tome of Strahd. The Gothic Trinkets are a really nice touch to be honest.
There are some new monsters too. The is a fantastic full color tear out map of Castle Ravenloft (roughly 32" by 24") on one side and Barovia on the next.
I think in the end I was hoping for more. Maybe not so much as a repeat of the 2e Ravenloft Domains of Dread campaign world, but something...more.
There will be a Tarokka deck you can buy later.
http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/tarokka-deck
I think I still have my 2e one around somewhere, but I prefer to use Tarot cards myself.
You can read the table of contents here.
http://tribality.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/01_CoS_TableofContents_4s09.pdf
I got excited when I saw that "Barovian Witch" listed under NPCs and had hoped to see an update to the 2nd Ed "Witches of Hala" but sadly this was not the case. But it has given me some ideas.
 |
| I know. This is Pathfinder, but this is what a witch in Ravenloft could look like. |
Buy this if...
You are a fan of Ravenloft and want to have a complete collection.
You are a fan D&D 5e and want to have a complete collection.
A fan of adventure design and want to see how a 1st ed to 5th ed conversion can be done.
If you are planning to ever run Ravenloft under 5e.
Like the idea of playing in the Barovian sandbox. This is actually a big one to be honest.
Avoid if...
You are not planning on running the classic Ravenloft adventure.
You are not playing D&D 5e.
Want to do your own conversion of one of the many options out there for taking on Strahd in his castle.
There are no new classes or races. Not even rules for playing a Vistani.
There are no new spells or rituals either. This seems like a bigger miss to me.
In the end you have to decide for yourself. I am certainly not someone that needs tips on playing horror game, nor am I going to run Ravenloft (the adventure) under 5e (already did it) and don't need help converting. There isn't anything here I could not have done on my or haven;t already done on my own. But I got it anyway. Hopefully there will be a sequel for levels 11-20.
Just like Dracula, Strahd can (and will) come back. There are even details in the book about how it happens. So maybe a sequel is already in the works?
Now that would be fun!
Monday, December 14, 2015
Slavers Defeated!
Last night the Order of the Platinum Dragon crushed the gnolls working in Slave Pits of the Undercity and defeated the slavers! The slaves were freed, including some orcs which vowed to help the PCs when and if they could. Detailed maps were discovered and the group is off to stop an even larger threat.
We finished module A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity last night. I ran it under 5th Edition and made a lot of tweaks along the way. While I felt the players had an easy of a time when going through Castle Amber, I made som changes in how monsters were dealt with and felt that last's night session was much more balanced. Plus a lot of great things went on.
I used gnolls instead of orcs. In truth I am tired of orcs and wanted something new. So I used a lot of material from +James Mishler's Hercynian Grimoire #1. I included his Gnoles, werehyenas, and even a gnoll assassin and a gnoll witch. It made for a lot of fun.
Since I am also tying in more to the Out of Abyss adventures I included some gnoll demonic adepts which was great fun. I took the old adage that the campaign is written by the paranoia of the players my oldest son decided that these demonic-gnolls must mean that ultimately demons are in control of the slavers. Sure. Let's go with that!
To really have some fun since there were ghouls in this adventure I added a Thoul enforcer. Now back in the day I always thought thouls were part ghoul, part troll and part gnoll, forgeting all about hobgoblin. So I decided I would honor my 35+ year-old mistake and have a thoul in my game that was decidedly gnoll in heritage. If you never played Basic/Expert D&D then you might not know the thoul. Well here is the man himself, Perdustin over at Thoul's Paradise to educate us on what is a thoul. Mine was a little different than the one in the BECM(I) Rules Cyclopedia.
Thankfully I found this great tool that helps create a D&D5 style monster stat block.
http://thegeniusinc.com/dd-monster-maker-download/
I can build monsters all day!
The characters are on their way to the Slaver's Stockade (A2) but along the way they are going hit our "Christmas Special" and have to deal with Krampus! Hey since I have the software open...
Here is Krampus.
Can't wait to tell you all about it!
I used gnolls instead of orcs. In truth I am tired of orcs and wanted something new. So I used a lot of material from +James Mishler's Hercynian Grimoire #1. I included his Gnoles, werehyenas, and even a gnoll assassin and a gnoll witch. It made for a lot of fun.
Since I am also tying in more to the Out of Abyss adventures I included some gnoll demonic adepts which was great fun. I took the old adage that the campaign is written by the paranoia of the players my oldest son decided that these demonic-gnolls must mean that ultimately demons are in control of the slavers. Sure. Let's go with that!
To really have some fun since there were ghouls in this adventure I added a Thoul enforcer. Now back in the day I always thought thouls were part ghoul, part troll and part gnoll, forgeting all about hobgoblin. So I decided I would honor my 35+ year-old mistake and have a thoul in my game that was decidedly gnoll in heritage. If you never played Basic/Expert D&D then you might not know the thoul. Well here is the man himself, Perdustin over at Thoul's Paradise to educate us on what is a thoul. Mine was a little different than the one in the BECM(I) Rules Cyclopedia.
Thankfully I found this great tool that helps create a D&D5 style monster stat block.
http://thegeniusinc.com/dd-monster-maker-download/
The characters are on their way to the Slaver's Stockade (A2) but along the way they are going hit our "Christmas Special" and have to deal with Krampus! Hey since I have the software open...
Here is Krampus.
Can't wait to tell you all about it!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Review: GAZ3 The Principalities of Glantri
Still spending a lot of time thinking about witches, wizards, schools of magic and witch queens. So naturally my thoughts turn to +Bruce Heard's masterpiece, GAZ3 The Principalities of Glantri.
I have mentioned Glantri here a few times. It was the homeland for my characters back in my D&D/AD&D days. I built up the country from the small bits of information from D&D Expert Set, Isle of Dread and Castle Amber. It was not till much later I discovered the Gazetteer series and picked up Glantri that I discovered how really interesting and fun the place was.
GAZ3 The Principalities of Glantri
The pdf is 102 pages (the original book was 96 pages, a detached cover and large map of the country and Glantri City). The PDF is a good quality scan and retains all the information found in the print book. The cover art was done by the fantastic Clyde Caldwell. While this book is a D&D "Basic" book, there is so much here of use that it can really be used with any D&D system. This book really set the stage for all the other Gazetteers to follow.
The first part, Welcome to Glantri, gives a very brief overview of what the country is and what this book sets out to do.
Up next is the History of Glantri. I spent hours and hours reading this over and over. I won't go into great detail, but linking Glantri to ancient Blackmoor was wonderful in my mind. Mostly because I loved the link but also I had done something similar for my own games. What follows next is a time line from 3000 BC, The Rain of Fire* (Before Crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis) to 1000 AC (today) and even on to 1200 AC. *I always wondered if the Rain of Fire that destroyed Blackmoor was related or even just the same spell that destroyed the Suel in the Greyhawk world.
Geography of Glantri is next. Like much of Mystara, Glantri is a mix of all sorts of races and people, but Glantri also has it's fair share of "monsters" those will be detailed later. Glantri's climate is also touched upon, making it one of the colder lands.
The is followed by The Glantrian Economy. I really enjoyed this section because it really breathes life into the people that live here. Each of the Principalities is detailed here for the first time. A quick read and one immediately recognizes analogues to Scotland, Italy, France, and even Transylvania. Glantri is very cosmopolitan. We move into the Grand Army of Glantri and Politics and Rivalries of Glantri. Glantri is the place to play out political intrigue where everyone is mage of some sort or has one on retainer. Like the Economy section, this section breathes more life into the people of the land, in this case all the great houses. I will admit once again that the interior art by Stephan Fabian links this to Ravenloft in my mind. Not only are there humans here, but vampires, werewolves and liches ruling. We will get to witches in a bit.
Guilds and Brotherhoods are also one of the more important features of this book and life in Glantri. There are so many here that characters could each belong to many and none overlap. Some are complimentary to each other and others at cross purposes. Really good fodder for role-playing.
Glantri City by Night details what happens to the 39,000+ residents when the sun goes down. The book is like a what we now call Modern Supernatural. So all sorts of "monsters" come out and mingle with everyday people. It says "by Night" but really this an overview of the city itself and all it's sections. It reminds me of a travel guide to London I once read, so I am rather fond of this section.
Living in Glantri City details life in the city including the laws, who is in charge, magic use and various holy/high days. There is no religion in Glantri, but there is a state philosophy. Of course it is tied in with magic.
The Great School of Magic. Outside of Hogwarts or Professor Xavier's school has a school been so rich detailed. Though there is enough here to make me want more, a lot more. This is followed by Creating Spells and Magical Items and The Secret of the Radiance. The source of Glantri's magical power.
Nest we get into The Seven Secret Crafts of Glantri. If you only buy this book for this section then you will be well rewarded. Think of these as schools or even colleges of magic. Each one ads something special to the Magic-User class, almost like a Prestige Class or Paragon class feature. They include, Alchemy, Dragon magic, Elemental magic, Illusion, Necromancy, Rune magic, and of course, Witchcraft.
We wrap up with Adventures in Glantri.
The Gazetteer series were works of art and none more so than the Glantri book.
I mentioned before that this book would work fine with other versions of D&D. Looking deeper into the Seven Secret Crafts of Glantri, one could EASILY replace the Arcane Tradition feature of the 5th Edition Wizard and replace those powers with the craft powers. The 5e wizard gets 4 Arcane tradition powers/features and the Basic craft wizards get 5. They work out to about the same levels too.
So if you have not picked this up, do so. I highly recommend it.
I also recommend Bruce Heard's latest Calidar kickstarter Beyond the Skies.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/calidar-beyond-the-skies
Calidar is a load of fun and this promises to be great.
I have mentioned Glantri here a few times. It was the homeland for my characters back in my D&D/AD&D days. I built up the country from the small bits of information from D&D Expert Set, Isle of Dread and Castle Amber. It was not till much later I discovered the Gazetteer series and picked up Glantri that I discovered how really interesting and fun the place was.
The pdf is 102 pages (the original book was 96 pages, a detached cover and large map of the country and Glantri City). The PDF is a good quality scan and retains all the information found in the print book. The cover art was done by the fantastic Clyde Caldwell. While this book is a D&D "Basic" book, there is so much here of use that it can really be used with any D&D system. This book really set the stage for all the other Gazetteers to follow.
The first part, Welcome to Glantri, gives a very brief overview of what the country is and what this book sets out to do.
Up next is the History of Glantri. I spent hours and hours reading this over and over. I won't go into great detail, but linking Glantri to ancient Blackmoor was wonderful in my mind. Mostly because I loved the link but also I had done something similar for my own games. What follows next is a time line from 3000 BC, The Rain of Fire* (Before Crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis) to 1000 AC (today) and even on to 1200 AC. *I always wondered if the Rain of Fire that destroyed Blackmoor was related or even just the same spell that destroyed the Suel in the Greyhawk world.
Geography of Glantri is next. Like much of Mystara, Glantri is a mix of all sorts of races and people, but Glantri also has it's fair share of "monsters" those will be detailed later. Glantri's climate is also touched upon, making it one of the colder lands.
The is followed by The Glantrian Economy. I really enjoyed this section because it really breathes life into the people that live here. Each of the Principalities is detailed here for the first time. A quick read and one immediately recognizes analogues to Scotland, Italy, France, and even Transylvania. Glantri is very cosmopolitan. We move into the Grand Army of Glantri and Politics and Rivalries of Glantri. Glantri is the place to play out political intrigue where everyone is mage of some sort or has one on retainer. Like the Economy section, this section breathes more life into the people of the land, in this case all the great houses. I will admit once again that the interior art by Stephan Fabian links this to Ravenloft in my mind. Not only are there humans here, but vampires, werewolves and liches ruling. We will get to witches in a bit.
Guilds and Brotherhoods are also one of the more important features of this book and life in Glantri. There are so many here that characters could each belong to many and none overlap. Some are complimentary to each other and others at cross purposes. Really good fodder for role-playing.
Glantri City by Night details what happens to the 39,000+ residents when the sun goes down. The book is like a what we now call Modern Supernatural. So all sorts of "monsters" come out and mingle with everyday people. It says "by Night" but really this an overview of the city itself and all it's sections. It reminds me of a travel guide to London I once read, so I am rather fond of this section.
Living in Glantri City details life in the city including the laws, who is in charge, magic use and various holy/high days. There is no religion in Glantri, but there is a state philosophy. Of course it is tied in with magic.
The Great School of Magic. Outside of Hogwarts or Professor Xavier's school has a school been so rich detailed. Though there is enough here to make me want more, a lot more. This is followed by Creating Spells and Magical Items and The Secret of the Radiance. The source of Glantri's magical power.
Nest we get into The Seven Secret Crafts of Glantri. If you only buy this book for this section then you will be well rewarded. Think of these as schools or even colleges of magic. Each one ads something special to the Magic-User class, almost like a Prestige Class or Paragon class feature. They include, Alchemy, Dragon magic, Elemental magic, Illusion, Necromancy, Rune magic, and of course, Witchcraft.
We wrap up with Adventures in Glantri.
The Gazetteer series were works of art and none more so than the Glantri book.
I mentioned before that this book would work fine with other versions of D&D. Looking deeper into the Seven Secret Crafts of Glantri, one could EASILY replace the Arcane Tradition feature of the 5th Edition Wizard and replace those powers with the craft powers. The 5e wizard gets 4 Arcane tradition powers/features and the Basic craft wizards get 5. They work out to about the same levels too.
So if you have not picked this up, do so. I highly recommend it.
I also recommend Bruce Heard's latest Calidar kickstarter Beyond the Skies.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/calidar-beyond-the-skies
Calidar is a load of fun and this promises to be great.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Playing In Hyperborea
+Eric Fabiaschi over at "Swords & Stitchery - Old Time Sewing & Table Top Rpg Blog" has been doing a great set of Retro-Reviews of what I have been dubbing my "Second Campaign"
N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God
U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
U2 Danger At Dunwater
U3 The Final Enemy
C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan
Now I just need some adventures for levels 7-12/13 (I like the idea of going to 13).
Originally I had a bunch of desert themed adventures, but they really never felt right to me to be honest. Maybe I should be looking towards some of the newer OSR adventures like The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence to fill out the other levels.
I like the idea of some stygian cult. Something that was a cross between Lovecraft, Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. I think it might be fun if this cult was a Demogorgon cult too, just because.
He also reviewed some adventures I have already run or used under different systems.
B1 In Search of the Unknown
B3 Palace of the Silver Princess
B4 The Lost City
X1 Ilse of Dread
X2 Castle Amber
S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
If you get a chance, stop by his blog and read the reviews.
Edited to Add: U3
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Endless Darkness vs. The Outer Darkness
No game this weekend. It's my son's birthday so he is taking over my game room this weekend.
This gives me some time to work on their next adventure (well, future adventure), the D series.
I have been re-reading the D series for a bit now. It's funny how when reading it today I have a really different perspective on things than when I was going through the adventure 30 years ago. That's not a surprise really, nor is how much of it I had forgotten. What is the surprise is how much of it I remembered. Not from reading it or even the printed page, but what my characters were doing at the time.
I remembered how much I HATE Blibdoolpoolp.
Not the goddess herself actually, but the deception. 20 foot tall nude human with a lobster head? Why would Kuo-toa worship something that looked so different than themselves? Well the answer was obvious even to my then pre-teen and teenaged mind. It was an excuse to draw a naked woman.
Now generally speaking I don't have a problem with this, but I would like to think I am a bit more sophisticated today.
Since Kuo-toa are supposed to be stand-ins for Deep Ones anyway, why not go all the way and use Mother Hydra instead of Blibdoolpoolp. I can keep all the same names, Kuo-toa are a more "fishy" offshoot of the Deep Ones and they call their Goddess Blibdoolpoolp instead of Mother Hydra, but they are the same thing. She would become one of those things that is a mix of demon, goddess and what those things are from the outer darkness of Lovecraft's mind.
vs. 
I have been adding more "Lovecraft" to this adventure series anyway. Castle Amber was already very steeped in the mythos of Clark Ashton Smith. I have a bunch of Yithan minis now too. Plus I have wanted to bring the Mind Flayers closer to their Lovecraftian step-fathers. So in this sense it all works out. I also have all of these books at home with the monster stats; Deities and Demigods, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, Realms of Crawling Chaos and what I call neo-Mythos books like the Teratic Tome.
My kids are really into reading about the mythos, but not the actual stories yet. My oldest doesn't read horror and my youngest is working his way up to Lovecraft now.
Ok. For the record, I know there is so much more to Lovecraft than the Mythos. But that is the part I want to use here.
I am not planning on bringing in the big C himself. But I can see Dagon showing up sometime.
In any case it is going to be a lot of fun.
This gives me some time to work on their next adventure (well, future adventure), the D series.
I have been re-reading the D series for a bit now. It's funny how when reading it today I have a really different perspective on things than when I was going through the adventure 30 years ago. That's not a surprise really, nor is how much of it I had forgotten. What is the surprise is how much of it I remembered. Not from reading it or even the printed page, but what my characters were doing at the time.
I remembered how much I HATE Blibdoolpoolp.
Not the goddess herself actually, but the deception. 20 foot tall nude human with a lobster head? Why would Kuo-toa worship something that looked so different than themselves? Well the answer was obvious even to my then pre-teen and teenaged mind. It was an excuse to draw a naked woman.
Now generally speaking I don't have a problem with this, but I would like to think I am a bit more sophisticated today.
Since Kuo-toa are supposed to be stand-ins for Deep Ones anyway, why not go all the way and use Mother Hydra instead of Blibdoolpoolp. I can keep all the same names, Kuo-toa are a more "fishy" offshoot of the Deep Ones and they call their Goddess Blibdoolpoolp instead of Mother Hydra, but they are the same thing. She would become one of those things that is a mix of demon, goddess and what those things are from the outer darkness of Lovecraft's mind.
vs. 
I have been adding more "Lovecraft" to this adventure series anyway. Castle Amber was already very steeped in the mythos of Clark Ashton Smith. I have a bunch of Yithan minis now too. Plus I have wanted to bring the Mind Flayers closer to their Lovecraftian step-fathers. So in this sense it all works out. I also have all of these books at home with the monster stats; Deities and Demigods, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, Realms of Crawling Chaos and what I call neo-Mythos books like the Teratic Tome.
My kids are really into reading about the mythos, but not the actual stories yet. My oldest doesn't read horror and my youngest is working his way up to Lovecraft now.
Ok. For the record, I know there is so much more to Lovecraft than the Mythos. But that is the part I want to use here.
I am not planning on bringing in the big C himself. But I can see Dagon showing up sometime.
In any case it is going to be a lot of fun.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Castle Amber, Butterbeer and the Order of the Platinum Dragon
Sunday was a humid, rainy day in Chicagoland. So what better to do than stay inside and play some D&D!
We decided to finish up Castle Amber taking them straight through all the wilderness encounters. The boys meet Skylla, though true to her rumored appearance in the D&D cartoon she appears as an old woman. They also have no idea that she is evil.
She did help them a bit on where various towns were. She wanted out of the Averoigne to get back to Glantri. There is a small problem now, but I will get to that.
The boys decided that the name of their group is The Order of the Platinum Dragon. We celebrated with some homemade butterbeer.
It was quite good, but we could saved time and had the same amount of calories and fat with we had just drank some melted butter with a couple tablespoons of sugar.
The Order managed to dispatch the Beast of Averoigne and The Colossus of Ylourgne. They were able to con and bribe the Ring of Eibon from the Archbishop. All in all, a really good session.
The Order summoned the Tomb of Stephen Amber and the mists closed in on them. Normally that is where the adventure ends and they are back in their own world. Instead when the mists cleared they discovered they are in Barovia. Well, they don't know that yet, all they know is they are not home yet.
The Sword of Sylarie was not destroyed as per the module. It is half of what will become the Sun Sword.
So up next it is the Order vs. Castle Ravenloft.
Time to grab my copy of Ravenloft and start reading again. Should not be to bad, I have run this many, many times.
It's going to be a lot of fun!
We decided to finish up Castle Amber taking them straight through all the wilderness encounters. The boys meet Skylla, though true to her rumored appearance in the D&D cartoon she appears as an old woman. They also have no idea that she is evil.
She did help them a bit on where various towns were. She wanted out of the Averoigne to get back to Glantri. There is a small problem now, but I will get to that.
The boys decided that the name of their group is The Order of the Platinum Dragon. We celebrated with some homemade butterbeer.
It was quite good, but we could saved time and had the same amount of calories and fat with we had just drank some melted butter with a couple tablespoons of sugar.
The Order managed to dispatch the Beast of Averoigne and The Colossus of Ylourgne. They were able to con and bribe the Ring of Eibon from the Archbishop. All in all, a really good session.
The Order summoned the Tomb of Stephen Amber and the mists closed in on them. Normally that is where the adventure ends and they are back in their own world. Instead when the mists cleared they discovered they are in Barovia. Well, they don't know that yet, all they know is they are not home yet.
The Sword of Sylarie was not destroyed as per the module. It is half of what will become the Sun Sword.
So up next it is the Order vs. Castle Ravenloft.
Time to grab my copy of Ravenloft and start reading again. Should not be to bad, I have run this many, many times.
It's going to be a lot of fun!
Thursday, March 12, 2015
The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time
Been kinda of obsessed with lists lately. But this one does have a point for me. A while back (2004 in fact) the Pazio run of Dungeon Magazine listed their top 30 adventures of all time.
I have been going through what I call the "Classical Canon" of D&D. Not just so I have the experience of running them all, but so my kids can also enjoy these great adventures. I also am looking for what makes a truly great D&D adventure; something that people still talk about years later.
Anyway here is the list with my thoughts.
30. The Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980 (C2)
This is great one, but an odd one to run with a party in an ongoing campaign. So I used it in my Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space playtest and ran it as "The Ghost Tower of Inverness, Illinois". I used this as the location of the "Ghost Tower" which is actually a malfunctioning Time Beacon.
29. The Assassin’s Knot, 1983 (L2)
Personally I prefer L1, Secret of Bone Hill, but this is a great sequel and I can see why many people like it more than Bone Hill. Assassin's Knot works well as a murder mystery, but not great if your players are wanting to go in a bust skulls.
28. The Lost City, 1982 (B4)
I played this one in 8th Grade when it was new and had a blast. I ran it again for my kids a few years back and still had a blast. There were so many things in it I had forgotten and I spent most of the module smiling to myself in memory. It is a Moldvay classic really and really has the feel of early 80s Basic D&D.
27. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, 1981 (U1)
This was one I played back in the day but I have yet to run. I have it all ready to go with my 3rd Ed. conversion notes. Of course at the time I thought this was great because I was deep into my Anglophilia and I thought ANYTHING from England was perfect. Given that it was written (in part) by Don Turnbull then it was bound to be good. If I remember right I played this one after Lost City. I loved the tenor and mood of the module. It inspired an adventure I wrote in 88 called "Home by the Sea". Parts of that adventure were then later used in my Ghosts of Albion adventure Blight, which took place in Ireland. So it all came full circle.
26. City of Skulls, 1993 (WGR6)
This is an odd one. I never played it, never ran it and never really heard anything about it. This was near the end of my Ravenloft games and very, very close to the time where I took a huge break from D&D. I will check it out sometime, but doubt if I'll ever run it.
25. Dragons of Despair, 1984 (DL1)
I never played or ran any of the Dragonlance modules. I enjoyed the books when they came out and I liked the idea that everyone playing was going through it all at the same time. Hey, maybe someone should revive this for the next D&D Encounters! I loved the idea and I loved the new design of the modules, but even then it felt a little railroady to me. Plus I wanted to use my own characters.
24. City of the Spider Queen, 2002
I am not a good judge of this one. I don't like Drizzt. I don't like R.A. Salvatore. I never really cared for the Forgotten Realms till about 4th Edition. I don't really know anything about this module. I suspect it was added to the list because there was a dearth of "modern" adventures and most of the others were "Greyhawk" related.
23. The Forgotten Temple of Tharzidun, 1982 (WG4)
Now this adventure...This one I can get behind. I never played this one, but I have run it twice. It's a death dealer and a peak into what might have been coming as a narrative arc if Gygax had been into such things. This module is one of out first peeks into the horror that is Tharzidun, a god that is part Cthulhu and part Satan in my game. I am weaving material from this module into my larger campaign.
22. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982 (S4)
The same is true for this module. I remember buying it as soon as it came out and I begged my DM to run me through it. I have run it myself twice since, the most recent time with my Dragonslayers group. This is one of my most favorite modules. It has a vampire, Iggwilv, tons of new demons (many that later became part of the Monster Manual II) and just enough puzzles to keep the players on their toes. Running it this last time was a lot of fun.
21. Dark Tower, 1979 from Judge’s Guild (JG 0088)
While I would argue that this is an obligatory JG entry, this one is actually a lot of fun. I never played it myself and it is so rare on eBay that it has been cost prohibative. Thankfully we have PDFs of the Original and of the 3.5 update.
20. Scourge of the Slave Lords, 1986 (A1-4)
Another classic getting the reprint treatment. I remember playing this one in 8th grade as well. My DM at the time folded the Lost City into the A series to make a campaign out of them. Also he had a copy of Grimtooth's Traps which made everything deadlier. Or as he said "better". I still have a thief stuck somewhere in a pit trap.
19. Against the Cult of the Reptile God, 1982 (N1)
I have never played or run this one. I have though always wanted to use it as a start of a "Second" campaign, After running the Classical Canon, I would start with a new campaign focusing on reptiles as the enemy. Work in some modern "Reptoids" and have a go at it. Maybe someday I will still do this. But this is a fun adventure to read.
18. The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
Another great old module I never played, but read many times. Like N1 I always hoped that I could use this one as part of a second campaign. Though given some of the elements I would not be amiss using it in my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. I already have too many modules/adventures for the 5-7 level range.
17. Ruins of Undermountain, 1991
Ah. This is one that I have always known about but never really bothered with. It was Forgotten Realms so I never gave it much thought. Though I always thought this was more of a campaign expansion, ie part of the the whole Underdark deal so I never considered it an adventure.
16. Isle of Dread, 1980 (X1)
Oh the hours I spent pouring over this map. This was Tom Moldvay's love letter to the pulp era and to such classic horror movies as King Kong. This also included the first full map of the Known World. I ran it many times as a kid and it was one of the first modules I ran for my son. He wanted to go an island of monsters, "like in Godzilla". This did not disappoint him or me. More so than any other adventure, the Dragonslayers were born here.
15. Castle Amber, 1981 (X2)
Another great. Again Moldvay's pulp horror influences are showing here, in particular his love for the works of Clark Ashton Smith. This time we enter an old house full of crazy characters and plenty of dangers. This could have come off as a "fun house" dungeon, but something in the presentation is different. Maybe it is the undertones of horror and dread. My players in our 5e game are going through this one now. I have dropped the first hints of the "coming darkness" to them here.
This is one of my personal favorites. Certainly part of my top 5.
14. Dead Gods, 1997
Dead Gods is not an adventure I have ever run or been in, but it is one I have used quite a bit. There are a number of elements in it that I use for my "Rise of Orcus" plot. Especially back in the 4e days and the rise of Orcus adventures. Honestly there are enough adventures out there that you could build a universe (and edition) spanning mega campaign on nothing more than stopping the machinations of Orcus. One day I should give that a try.
13. Dwellers of the Forbidden City, 1981 (I1)
This is a great adventure and part of my "Second Campaign" (AGGHHH too many adventures to play!) it is also at the 4th-7th level sweet spot. This one is a key part of that idea since it introduced the Yuan-ti, a monster I have used repeatedly; often calling them Ophidians. It has elements that would fit in nicely with my 5th edition group, but I have too many adventures for this level.
12. The Forge of Fury, 2000
So this is our obligatory 3e adventure I think. I never played it or ran it, thought I have read it. Personally I think The Sunless Citadel was better and should have been on this list. It was the first and introduced a generation to Meepo. Sure he was no Aleena, but you could also say that Aleena was no Meepo!
11. The Gates of Firestorm Peak, 1996
Ugh. Sorry, but there is a lot about this module I just don't like. I don't care for the shoehorn plot for starters and I hated the Skills & Powers books. Som much that it threw me off of D&D till 3e came out. It was "Lovecraftian" and I did like that. I suspect that is why it is on this list to be honest. Though many of the ideas in this module came into sharper focus during the 3e years.
10. Return to the Tomb of Horrors, 1998
You have to admit. This is a total cheat. I have it, I enjoyed it and I like the idea that the Tomb is something that people can keep going back too (whatever the edition). As a sequel there is a lot to like. As a stand alone and on it's own merits though it might be passable.
9. White Plume Mountain, 1979 (S2)
I am inordinately fond of the S series of modules. This one is no different. It of course makes 0 sense, but works great as an epic D&D adventure. Plus it gave us Wave, Whelm and Blackrazor.
8. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, 2001
In many ways I like this one better than the original. I like the idea of returning to the Temple I also like the idea of talking in game about adventures that came before. Gives me a sense of continuity. This is one of my favorite 3.x era modules to be honest.
7. The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
What can I honestly say about this one? The Cave of Chaos were as well traveled as a local Mall in the 1980s. When I think "Classic Canon" this is the first thing that comes to mind.
6. The Desert of Desolation, 1987 (I3-5)
Another total cheat this "super" module is made up of Pharoah (I3), Oasis of the White Palm (I4) and Lost Tomb of Martek (I5). Though to be totally fair they are linked together. Another really great set of adventures I would LOVE to play or run (read them many times) but not likely to. Maybe if I do my "Second Campaign". There is a lot in these I have used elsewhere though.
5. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
"You know what AD&D needs? Freaking laser guns! Lasers and killer robots!" Seriously. Has there ever been a module to encapsulate everything the late 70s and early 80s was all about more than this one? It even has a karate instructor robot. I am going to add in a break-dancing robot that moves to a funky Herbie Hancock beat when I run this next. Which should be soon. I am going totally gonzo with it too. I am grabbing bits of Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha too. In fact since the characters are higher level than the module requires I am doing a sort of "Return to the Barrier Peaks" spin on it. I am going to add some material from The Illithiad as well.
4. The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985 (T1-4)
Another of the classic canon. If you didn't start your adventure in the keep, then chances are you started it here. I have always wanted to run this one and never have. I have used pieces of it before.
I suppose if I do my "second campaign" I will start with this and change the temple a bit.
3. Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1)
We just finished this one and it was every bit the meat grinder it was rumored to be. I had gone through back in the day, but running it was a completely different experience. Now I might be branded as a heretic here but it is not really that good of an adventure. Really it isn't. There are lot things in the adventure that don't make sense except in a D&D world. That being said it is a rite of passage and everyone should try it at least once under their favorite edition or at least once under 1st ed as Gary intended it to be.
2. Ravenloft, 1983 (I6)
Here we go. This is my favorite module on the list. I just love it; warts and all. Yeah there are some real leaps in logic in this one and there are plenty of reasons NOT to like it, but I don't care. I think it is great. It's a Hammer Horror film in D&D form right down to the small "Hammer Hamlet" village with terrified peasants. There are vampires, gypsies, werewolves, really strong zombies, gargoyles. Even a huge pipe organ played by the vampire. You can almost hear Toccata and Fugue in D minor while running it. I have played through this once and I have ran it three or four times. I would love to try it sometime under the Ghosts of Albion rules. I am going to take my 5e group through it when they complete Castle Amber.
1. Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
The first AD&D campaign arc. We talk alot about being "plot free" in our adventures but when it get right down to it we love a good story arc and the GDQ was that. I am not 100% sure that Q1 lived up the promise of the G and D series, but damn was it fun.
This super module was made up of:
Back in the day EVERYONE was going through this. It was the D&D Encounters of it's time. The only problem was no one was doing it at exactly the same time or way. So I know dozens of stories about how these turned out. I have dozens of my own. Plus that Bill Willingham cover of the Giants is one of the most iconic covers of the age I think.
There you are. The 30 greatest adventures as ranked by Dungeon Magazine.
Do you agree or disagree? What is missing?
Here are my honorable mentions.
In Search of the Unknown, 1978 (B1)
Every adventure starts somewhere. Mine usually start here. This is my go to module for a quick a easy sandbox style dungeon crawl. I have run it half a dozen times or more with new groups and it is always a thrill.
Palace of the Silver Princess, 1981 (B3)
Yes it is a rather silly adventure, but I really enjoy it. Plus the backstory on it makes it a lot more fun.
Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1976 from WeeWarriors (V2)
The first ever published adventure or "DM's Kit" as it was called then. What it lacks detail it makes up for in style. I have ran this one twice now under various systems. It works with everything to be honest; it is that sandboxy.
I have been going through what I call the "Classical Canon" of D&D. Not just so I have the experience of running them all, but so my kids can also enjoy these great adventures. I also am looking for what makes a truly great D&D adventure; something that people still talk about years later.
Anyway here is the list with my thoughts.
This is great one, but an odd one to run with a party in an ongoing campaign. So I used it in my Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space playtest and ran it as "The Ghost Tower of Inverness, Illinois". I used this as the location of the "Ghost Tower" which is actually a malfunctioning Time Beacon.
29. The Assassin’s Knot, 1983 (L2)
Personally I prefer L1, Secret of Bone Hill, but this is a great sequel and I can see why many people like it more than Bone Hill. Assassin's Knot works well as a murder mystery, but not great if your players are wanting to go in a bust skulls.
28. The Lost City, 1982 (B4)
I played this one in 8th Grade when it was new and had a blast. I ran it again for my kids a few years back and still had a blast. There were so many things in it I had forgotten and I spent most of the module smiling to myself in memory. It is a Moldvay classic really and really has the feel of early 80s Basic D&D.
This was one I played back in the day but I have yet to run. I have it all ready to go with my 3rd Ed. conversion notes. Of course at the time I thought this was great because I was deep into my Anglophilia and I thought ANYTHING from England was perfect. Given that it was written (in part) by Don Turnbull then it was bound to be good. If I remember right I played this one after Lost City. I loved the tenor and mood of the module. It inspired an adventure I wrote in 88 called "Home by the Sea". Parts of that adventure were then later used in my Ghosts of Albion adventure Blight, which took place in Ireland. So it all came full circle.
26. City of Skulls, 1993 (WGR6)
This is an odd one. I never played it, never ran it and never really heard anything about it. This was near the end of my Ravenloft games and very, very close to the time where I took a huge break from D&D. I will check it out sometime, but doubt if I'll ever run it.
25. Dragons of Despair, 1984 (DL1)
I never played or ran any of the Dragonlance modules. I enjoyed the books when they came out and I liked the idea that everyone playing was going through it all at the same time. Hey, maybe someone should revive this for the next D&D Encounters! I loved the idea and I loved the new design of the modules, but even then it felt a little railroady to me. Plus I wanted to use my own characters.
24. City of the Spider Queen, 2002
I am not a good judge of this one. I don't like Drizzt. I don't like R.A. Salvatore. I never really cared for the Forgotten Realms till about 4th Edition. I don't really know anything about this module. I suspect it was added to the list because there was a dearth of "modern" adventures and most of the others were "Greyhawk" related.
Now this adventure...This one I can get behind. I never played this one, but I have run it twice. It's a death dealer and a peak into what might have been coming as a narrative arc if Gygax had been into such things. This module is one of out first peeks into the horror that is Tharzidun, a god that is part Cthulhu and part Satan in my game. I am weaving material from this module into my larger campaign.
22. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982 (S4)
The same is true for this module. I remember buying it as soon as it came out and I begged my DM to run me through it. I have run it myself twice since, the most recent time with my Dragonslayers group. This is one of my most favorite modules. It has a vampire, Iggwilv, tons of new demons (many that later became part of the Monster Manual II) and just enough puzzles to keep the players on their toes. Running it this last time was a lot of fun.
21. Dark Tower, 1979 from Judge’s Guild (JG 0088)
While I would argue that this is an obligatory JG entry, this one is actually a lot of fun. I never played it myself and it is so rare on eBay that it has been cost prohibative. Thankfully we have PDFs of the Original and of the 3.5 update.
20. Scourge of the Slave Lords, 1986 (A1-4)
Another classic getting the reprint treatment. I remember playing this one in 8th grade as well. My DM at the time folded the Lost City into the A series to make a campaign out of them. Also he had a copy of Grimtooth's Traps which made everything deadlier. Or as he said "better". I still have a thief stuck somewhere in a pit trap.
I have never played or run this one. I have though always wanted to use it as a start of a "Second" campaign, After running the Classical Canon, I would start with a new campaign focusing on reptiles as the enemy. Work in some modern "Reptoids" and have a go at it. Maybe someday I will still do this. But this is a fun adventure to read.
18. The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
Another great old module I never played, but read many times. Like N1 I always hoped that I could use this one as part of a second campaign. Though given some of the elements I would not be amiss using it in my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. I already have too many modules/adventures for the 5-7 level range.
17. Ruins of Undermountain, 1991
Ah. This is one that I have always known about but never really bothered with. It was Forgotten Realms so I never gave it much thought. Though I always thought this was more of a campaign expansion, ie part of the the whole Underdark deal so I never considered it an adventure.
16. Isle of Dread, 1980 (X1)
Oh the hours I spent pouring over this map. This was Tom Moldvay's love letter to the pulp era and to such classic horror movies as King Kong. This also included the first full map of the Known World. I ran it many times as a kid and it was one of the first modules I ran for my son. He wanted to go an island of monsters, "like in Godzilla". This did not disappoint him or me. More so than any other adventure, the Dragonslayers were born here.
Another great. Again Moldvay's pulp horror influences are showing here, in particular his love for the works of Clark Ashton Smith. This time we enter an old house full of crazy characters and plenty of dangers. This could have come off as a "fun house" dungeon, but something in the presentation is different. Maybe it is the undertones of horror and dread. My players in our 5e game are going through this one now. I have dropped the first hints of the "coming darkness" to them here.
This is one of my personal favorites. Certainly part of my top 5.
14. Dead Gods, 1997
Dead Gods is not an adventure I have ever run or been in, but it is one I have used quite a bit. There are a number of elements in it that I use for my "Rise of Orcus" plot. Especially back in the 4e days and the rise of Orcus adventures. Honestly there are enough adventures out there that you could build a universe (and edition) spanning mega campaign on nothing more than stopping the machinations of Orcus. One day I should give that a try.
This is a great adventure and part of my "Second Campaign" (AGGHHH too many adventures to play!) it is also at the 4th-7th level sweet spot. This one is a key part of that idea since it introduced the Yuan-ti, a monster I have used repeatedly; often calling them Ophidians. It has elements that would fit in nicely with my 5th edition group, but I have too many adventures for this level.
12. The Forge of Fury, 2000
So this is our obligatory 3e adventure I think. I never played it or ran it, thought I have read it. Personally I think The Sunless Citadel was better and should have been on this list. It was the first and introduced a generation to Meepo. Sure he was no Aleena, but you could also say that Aleena was no Meepo!
11. The Gates of Firestorm Peak, 1996
Ugh. Sorry, but there is a lot about this module I just don't like. I don't care for the shoehorn plot for starters and I hated the Skills & Powers books. Som much that it threw me off of D&D till 3e came out. It was "Lovecraftian" and I did like that. I suspect that is why it is on this list to be honest. Though many of the ideas in this module came into sharper focus during the 3e years.
10. Return to the Tomb of Horrors, 1998
You have to admit. This is a total cheat. I have it, I enjoyed it and I like the idea that the Tomb is something that people can keep going back too (whatever the edition). As a sequel there is a lot to like. As a stand alone and on it's own merits though it might be passable.
9. White Plume Mountain, 1979 (S2)
I am inordinately fond of the S series of modules. This one is no different. It of course makes 0 sense, but works great as an epic D&D adventure. Plus it gave us Wave, Whelm and Blackrazor.
In many ways I like this one better than the original. I like the idea of returning to the Temple I also like the idea of talking in game about adventures that came before. Gives me a sense of continuity. This is one of my favorite 3.x era modules to be honest.
7. The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
What can I honestly say about this one? The Cave of Chaos were as well traveled as a local Mall in the 1980s. When I think "Classic Canon" this is the first thing that comes to mind.
6. The Desert of Desolation, 1987 (I3-5)
Another total cheat this "super" module is made up of Pharoah (I3), Oasis of the White Palm (I4) and Lost Tomb of Martek (I5). Though to be totally fair they are linked together. Another really great set of adventures I would LOVE to play or run (read them many times) but not likely to. Maybe if I do my "Second Campaign". There is a lot in these I have used elsewhere though.
5. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
"You know what AD&D needs? Freaking laser guns! Lasers and killer robots!" Seriously. Has there ever been a module to encapsulate everything the late 70s and early 80s was all about more than this one? It even has a karate instructor robot. I am going to add in a break-dancing robot that moves to a funky Herbie Hancock beat when I run this next. Which should be soon. I am going totally gonzo with it too. I am grabbing bits of Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha too. In fact since the characters are higher level than the module requires I am doing a sort of "Return to the Barrier Peaks" spin on it. I am going to add some material from The Illithiad as well.
Another of the classic canon. If you didn't start your adventure in the keep, then chances are you started it here. I have always wanted to run this one and never have. I have used pieces of it before.
I suppose if I do my "second campaign" I will start with this and change the temple a bit.
3. Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1)
We just finished this one and it was every bit the meat grinder it was rumored to be. I had gone through back in the day, but running it was a completely different experience. Now I might be branded as a heretic here but it is not really that good of an adventure. Really it isn't. There are lot things in the adventure that don't make sense except in a D&D world. That being said it is a rite of passage and everyone should try it at least once under their favorite edition or at least once under 1st ed as Gary intended it to be.
Here we go. This is my favorite module on the list. I just love it; warts and all. Yeah there are some real leaps in logic in this one and there are plenty of reasons NOT to like it, but I don't care. I think it is great. It's a Hammer Horror film in D&D form right down to the small "Hammer Hamlet" village with terrified peasants. There are vampires, gypsies, werewolves, really strong zombies, gargoyles. Even a huge pipe organ played by the vampire. You can almost hear Toccata and Fugue in D minor while running it. I have played through this once and I have ran it three or four times. I would love to try it sometime under the Ghosts of Albion rules. I am going to take my 5e group through it when they complete Castle Amber.
1. Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
The first AD&D campaign arc. We talk alot about being "plot free" in our adventures but when it get right down to it we love a good story arc and the GDQ was that. I am not 100% sure that Q1 lived up the promise of the G and D series, but damn was it fun.
This super module was made up of:
- Against the Giants (G1-3)
- Descent into the Depths of the Earth (D1-2)
- Vault of the Drow (D3)
- Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Q1)
Back in the day EVERYONE was going through this. It was the D&D Encounters of it's time. The only problem was no one was doing it at exactly the same time or way. So I know dozens of stories about how these turned out. I have dozens of my own. Plus that Bill Willingham cover of the Giants is one of the most iconic covers of the age I think.
There you are. The 30 greatest adventures as ranked by Dungeon Magazine.
Do you agree or disagree? What is missing?
Here are my honorable mentions.
Every adventure starts somewhere. Mine usually start here. This is my go to module for a quick a easy sandbox style dungeon crawl. I have run it half a dozen times or more with new groups and it is always a thrill.
Palace of the Silver Princess, 1981 (B3)
Yes it is a rather silly adventure, but I really enjoy it. Plus the backstory on it makes it a lot more fun.
Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1976 from WeeWarriors (V2)
The first ever published adventure or "DM's Kit" as it was called then. What it lacks detail it makes up for in style. I have ran this one twice now under various systems. It works with everything to be honest; it is that sandboxy.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Checking in on my Plan
Over the years I have discussed my Plan. The Plan is what adventures I am going to take my kids through.
For D&D 3.x I was content to take anything as it came, make stuff up and generally going towards a stopping the cult of Tiamat plot. It was/has been fun and we are nearing the end of that.
For the new adventures I was looking at 3rd, then 4th, then 1st and now 5th Edition as the primary game system.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-have-plan.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/02/lets-play-1st-ed-dad.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-kids-are-awesome.html
At the present here is where I am.
But I would REALLY edit these since they have a lot of issues. Truthfully my best plan is to just use H4 and add bits from H1-3 and maybe even some stuff from the 4th Ed E-Series. But that is if I want to have Orcus as the big bad guy at the end. It has appeal.
For D&D 3.x I was content to take anything as it came, make stuff up and generally going towards a stopping the cult of Tiamat plot. It was/has been fun and we are nearing the end of that.
For the new adventures I was looking at 3rd, then 4th, then 1st and now 5th Edition as the primary game system.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-have-plan.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/02/lets-play-1st-ed-dad.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-kids-are-awesome.html
At the present here is where I am.
- B1 Into the Unknown, levels 1-3
- B2 Keep on the Borderlands, levels 1-3
- L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, levels 2-4
- X2 Castle Amber, levels 3-6 (where we are now!)
- I6 Ravenloft, levels 5-7
- A0-5 Slave Lords, levels 4-7
- G123, Against the Giants, levels 8-12 (I also have the Stone Giant one from Dragonsfoot, just need to find it)
- D12,3 Against the Drow, levels 8,9-14
- Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits, 10-14
- CM2 Death's Ride, levels 15-20. (Again, unless I use it in my current 3.x game which the boys want me to do)
If I don't do Death's Ride I am seriously considering the classic H series to go after Orcus.
- H1 Bloodstone Pass, levels 15+
- H2 The Mines of Bloodstone, levels 16-18
- H3 The Bloodstone Wars, levels 17-20
- H4 The Throne of Bloodstone, levels 18-100
Also I have the mind flayer adventure A Darkness Gathering to work into the mix.
It has taken me a while to get through all this because I am alternating with my 3.x game, some AS&SH and other games.
So far the adventures have seemed random and the characters are wandering about. But they are about to get some items in the X2/I6 series that will help them later on.
Right now, with out their knowing about it the Drow, Vampires and Illithids have gathered together to put the final phase of their ultimate plan into motion. The PCs will discover a little of this plan when they encounter the Slavers. The slavers are all vampires now and they are not dealing in slaves, but human cattle. After they have defeated them the last part of the bad guys plan comes into fruition.
The sun goes completely out.
There is panic. Everyone gathers in the Freecity of Greyhawk. The Church of Pelor/Ixion is hardest hit, but also the loudest voice. All the "big names" are there and they are trying to figure out what to do.
There is a plan to set the moon a flame, but the various clergy of the Moon Goddesses are against that. Finally they agree to instead use a large asteroid to keep life going till they can re-ignite the sun.
While all the big names are trying to figure this out the PCs have to deal with some raids nearby of giants...
The PCs will then go through the GDQ series to discover the plan and that the drow are working with mind flayers. After defeating Lolth in Q1 the PCs will have to deal with the vampires who have Pelor captured. In order to re ignite the sun they will need to set him free from his prison in ..... and that is all I have.
Yeah it is kinda story-gamey. It's my game, my house and my kids. They will eat this up.
I guess it is hard for me to get away from the idea of vampires as the big bads.
Those of you who have been reading this blog a long time might notice that there was a similar plot in my Buffy Season 7 game, Episode 12 No Other Troy. Though that one the sun being blocked was a side effect.
I am inclined to use Orcus as the big bad holding Pelor.
I have a huge ass mini of him and a crap ton of material for him.
But I have also wanted to use Camazotz as the demon-god of Vampires in his abyssal plane of Xibalba. Maybe I still can use him in some way. It is possible he is something like a high priest to Orcus and his job is to sacrifice Pelor on a bloody altar. Once that is done Orcus will suck up his godly powers and reign as the God of Death and Darkness.
And he would have gotten away with it too had it not been for those meddling PCs.
And he would have gotten away with it too had it not been for those meddling PCs.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
On the Road to Averoigne
So far this adventure has been fantastic. I forgot how much fun X2 was, both as a player and as a DM.
I am still playing around with the 5e rules. I might use the option that makes healing more like AD&D, but so far I still very happy with how things go.
Story wise I have been dropping hints of the "Oncoming Darkness" with both the ghouls and the Brain Collector/Neh-Thalggu mentioning it. Once they complete their quest here typically they are brought back to their own world. Instead I am going to have them go directly to Ravenloft via the mists and defeat Strahd. In both adventures they get items necessary for them to survive the adventures to come.
I am going to try out this Ravenloft I6 D&D 5 conversion I found here.
Ravenloft is one of my favorite adventures and I am really looking forward to it.
I still need them to come up with a name for their group.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Great Weekend!
What a great weekend that was! I can't even feel bad for it being Monday cause I am still riding the high.
I got to watch some cool horror movies with my family. Got our Halloween decorations up (well, most of them) and We played some more Castle Amber Sunday night.
Had a moment of serious Deja Vu when running it too. In the "White Room" in the East Wing there is a D&D Expert set monster hiding out, a Frost Salamander. Now back in the day (much like today) we mixed and matched our D&D rules as we needed. Well back when I was a player and we went through this room I didn't have my D&D Expert book on me. I had just bought the PHB and we were running it as "pure" AD&D. Well AD&D doesn't have a Frost Salamander. Neither does D&D 5.
So in both cases we substituted a Remorhaz for it.
I know not a big deal. But for a bit I was transported back in time to when I was my son's age and doing what he was doing. It was very cool to me.
If you have not had a chance yet, head on over to Tenkar's Tavern to see exactly how not to act when someone is reviewing your kickstarter:
Very good example of what not to do.
I got to watch some cool horror movies with my family. Got our Halloween decorations up (well, most of them) and We played some more Castle Amber Sunday night.
Had a moment of serious Deja Vu when running it too. In the "White Room" in the East Wing there is a D&D Expert set monster hiding out, a Frost Salamander. Now back in the day (much like today) we mixed and matched our D&D rules as we needed. Well back when I was a player and we went through this room I didn't have my D&D Expert book on me. I had just bought the PHB and we were running it as "pure" AD&D. Well AD&D doesn't have a Frost Salamander. Neither does D&D 5.
So in both cases we substituted a Remorhaz for it.
I know not a big deal. But for a bit I was transported back in time to when I was my son's age and doing what he was doing. It was very cool to me.
If you have not had a chance yet, head on over to Tenkar's Tavern to see exactly how not to act when someone is reviewing your kickstarter:
- http://www.tenkarstavern.com/2014/10/kickstarter-dragonwars-of-trayth.html
- http://www.tenkarstavern.com/2014/10/wayward-kickstarter-dragonwars-of.html
- http://www.tenkarstavern.com/2014/10/tales-from-backwater-tavern.html
Very good example of what not to do.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Averoigne via Ravenloft
Chances are we are going to go see the new Dracula movie tonight. But tomorrow I would like to get in some gaming. My home group is nearly done with Castle Amber so given the season (and their levels) I want to segue right into Ravenloft.
For those that have played it you know that Stephen Amber send the party back to their own reality once they free him. But what if he didn't? What if didn't have the power to do that since freeing him also meant letting go of all his power. Stephen fades, Château d' Amberville crumbles to dust and the party is left standing in the mists. Where are they to go?
Easy.
Castle Ravenloft.
I have for years talked about the similarities between Château d' Amberville and Castle Ravenloft and the connections between Mystara and the Demi-Plane of Dread. It is likely that this is all taking place in the Demi-plane of Dread (Ravenloft) or the Dimension of Nightmares (Mystara) where even the Immortals fear to go.
Why do this?
I was thinking about the Doctor Who Series 2 episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "Age of Steel". The Doctor, Rose and Mickey (who had not traveled with them before except for one episode) get stuck in an alternate universe. Mickey stays behind.
The pay off on this is when we get to the Series 2 Finale and Mickey is back, and not just back, but since he traveled through "the Void" he and Rose are saved from being killed outright by the Daleks and it was Mickey who passed on his time travel energy (or void energy) to the Genesis Ark.
What's the point of this? Well the reason they went to the parallel universe were not apparant at the time, but paid off in the finale. From a story arc they all, including and especially Mickey, needed to go to that parallel universe when they did.
My players are in Ravenloft because they have to be. They needed to free Stephen Amber and stop the Amber family because that gets them to Castle Ravenloft which in turn gets them the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. They are going to need those in the coming darkness.
For those that have played it you know that Stephen Amber send the party back to their own reality once they free him. But what if he didn't? What if didn't have the power to do that since freeing him also meant letting go of all his power. Stephen fades, Château d' Amberville crumbles to dust and the party is left standing in the mists. Where are they to go?
Easy.
Castle Ravenloft.
I have for years talked about the similarities between Château d' Amberville and Castle Ravenloft and the connections between Mystara and the Demi-Plane of Dread. It is likely that this is all taking place in the Demi-plane of Dread (Ravenloft) or the Dimension of Nightmares (Mystara) where even the Immortals fear to go.
Why do this?
I was thinking about the Doctor Who Series 2 episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "Age of Steel". The Doctor, Rose and Mickey (who had not traveled with them before except for one episode) get stuck in an alternate universe. Mickey stays behind.
The pay off on this is when we get to the Series 2 Finale and Mickey is back, and not just back, but since he traveled through "the Void" he and Rose are saved from being killed outright by the Daleks and it was Mickey who passed on his time travel energy (or void energy) to the Genesis Ark.
What's the point of this? Well the reason they went to the parallel universe were not apparant at the time, but paid off in the finale. From a story arc they all, including and especially Mickey, needed to go to that parallel universe when they did.
My players are in Ravenloft because they have to be. They needed to free Stephen Amber and stop the Amber family because that gets them to Castle Ravenloft which in turn gets them the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. They are going to need those in the coming darkness.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Another Great 5e Weekend
It is the the first weekend of Fall (more or less) and that means a lot of yard work for me including cleaning up my wife's garden. I don't mind. I love getting all the fresh veggies.
But this weekend was also a great 5th Edition D&D weekend.
Began our time picking up a couple copies of the newest Monster Manual.
The new Monster Manual is a damn attractive book. Like so much of D&D5 it reads like a "greatest hits" of D&D. Yest there is still plenty of room for more books especially a Fiend Folio.
Tonight the family explored the temple in Castle Amber. They might more of the crazy Ambers and manged to get one character turned to stone. Fortunately for the paladin, the sorcerer still had a wand of negation that could undo one magical effect. So our paladin was back.
But the dice were cold tonight and we stopped after a couple of hours. Still, more fun to be had at Castle Amber.
But this weekend was also a great 5th Edition D&D weekend.
Began our time picking up a couple copies of the newest Monster Manual.
The new Monster Manual is a damn attractive book. Like so much of D&D5 it reads like a "greatest hits" of D&D. Yest there is still plenty of room for more books especially a Fiend Folio.
Tonight the family explored the temple in Castle Amber. They might more of the crazy Ambers and manged to get one character turned to stone. Fortunately for the paladin, the sorcerer still had a wand of negation that could undo one magical effect. So our paladin was back.
But the dice were cold tonight and we stopped after a couple of hours. Still, more fun to be had at Castle Amber.
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