1st Edition AD&D Dragon Assault: When Cats Save the Day

A recent thread on RPG Pub caught my attention, dealing with dragons and defending a settlement in a quasi medieval world from winged death on wings.

What got me thinking was the type of dragon assaulting the city and in what game system matters a lot. A REAL lot.Also, what type of breath weapon does the dragon have? Traditional fire and smoke of the concussive, napalm nuclear stuff of Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon?

As AD&D is the focus of a lot of the older players gaming sites I decided to ponder it from a 1st Edition AD&D perspective. 

Personally, defensive fortifications is something of an obsession for me over the decades in 1st Edition ADD. And after all these years? Its a LOT of work from magic, to underground races to yes, flying creatures assaulting the battlements. 

Three helpful Dragon magazines on the subject are:

• Dragon #145 - Theme "A Knight's home is his castle"
• Dragon #160 - Theme "Who stalk the streets, are stalked as well"
• Dragon #224 -  Theme "Fantastic Architecture"

In short, because there are high number of monsters in the game system, magic items and spells that allow for ease of assault, the means for defense has to be likewise high. 

So with all this in mind there was there I looked at page and it hit me, read on.

First Post

Willmark posted: Oh and one thing just caught my eye, if we go rules as written in 1st edition AD&D? Read closely page 29 for dragon ages in the Monster Manual. The DM rolls a single die on number appearing. You could get anything from age 1 (Young) to age 8 (Ancient)! Equal chances for each one.

Of course this in an of itself could be really amusing: "Guards man the ramparts! Summon the mages to their positions and draw the ballista and await my command to fire!

Baby dragon comes winging in... Captain of the Guard "Uhhhhhhh…”

Now sure the DM can adjust this so Smaug's grand kids doesn't come winging in looking for a snack and ending up as a juicy turkey special at the local dive But the point remains, rules as written it could happen.

And if a hatchling does mange to wobble its way into the city? Forget the fact that even normal weaponry can hurt a dragon in 1st edition. Why even bother? Just send in that uber-bad-ass of low level monsters in 1st Edition: the domestic cat!

That's right, you read it right: the cat. You know, that monster that has more hit points that most first level magic users?

The domestic cat: No. Appearing: 2-12, AC:6, MV 5", Hit Dice: 1-5 hit point, Attacks 2, Damage 1-2/1-2 Special Attacks: rear claw rakes 1-2/1-2 

With that in mind consider the following.

Second Post

Willmark posted: Building on my thoughts and the wackiness of the random nature of dragon age under Rules As Written.

That very young eight hit point dragon that might show up? What if it meets the most terrifying monster in Monster Manual II? the domestic cat with two attacks plus possibly two more from the rear claws; number appearing of two to twelve. 

It just so happens there are ten of them in this scenario. Read on.

Part 1- The City is Alerted... Dragon Inbound!
The alarm sounded wildly across the walls as men scrambled to their posts throughout the vast city.

"Dragon sighted!" shouted the lookout, voice cracking just enough to be unhelpful. "Coming in low!"

The Captain of the Guard stormed up the ramparts, hand casually on his sword hilt as if he had done this many times before. "Man the ballista! Archers to the wall! Summon the mages…where in the hell are the mages?!"

A corporal instantly appeared (they always do at just the right time). "Sir! The mages are…indisposed."

The Captain narrowed his eyes. "Define exactly what indisposed means.'"

"They're at the Shady Gutter, sir. Something about arcane research and a drinking contest."

The Captain closed his eyes for a long, painful second while rubbing his temples . "Of course they are."

A distant screech echoed through the air. All heads turned skyward.

The dragon crested the horizon. All eyes squinting and straining to catch a glimpse of the fearsome beast on the way to lay waste to their city.

It was…small. VERY small.

The Captain blinked. "That's...IT?"

The lookout squinted. "Yes, sir. Very…enthusiastic, though."

The dragon gave a high pitched roar that sounded more like a kettle thinking about boiling.

A nearby soldier whispered, "I've seen bigger chickens."

"Quiet!" barked the Captain; he was in agreement, but couldn't show it to the rank and file.

The dragon swooped closer, wobbling slightly mid-flight, and let out a puff of flame that slightly singed a banner and immediately sputtered out.

A pause.

The Captain slowly turned to the corporal. "Where are the recruits…they need some…practice"

"Sir…they too are at the Shady Gutter..."

Another pause. Longer this time and the Captain shook his head. "Of course they are."

He stared at the approaching creature, then back at his men, then off toward the city.

"Very well," he said at last. "Stand down the ballista."

The corporal hesitated. "Sir?"

"You heard me. Stand. Them. Down."

The dragon attempted another roar and clipped a chimney. Its wobbly flight continued.

The Captain rubbed his temples again, a growing headache coming on. "Go into the city."

"Sir?"

"Find me…several…cats."

The corporal blinked. "Cats, sir?"

"Yes, corporal. Cats. Small, fast, angry, and sober. Unlike anyone currently in this garrison."

The corporal saluted slowly. "Yes, sir. Cats."

The dragon landed awkwardly in the square, claws scraping stone as it tried very hard to look imposing. It puffed itself up, wings flaring with all the confidence of something that had never been told "no," and let out another defiant roar.

It echoed.

It accomplished nothing.

A shutter creaked open somewhere above. An old woman leaned out, squinted, and shut it again.

Moments later, almost effortlessly a cat slinked around a statue nearby. It looked at the dragon. The dragon looked at the cat.

Then another cat appeared. A third, until several were now milling about.

The first cat finished with its paw and sat, tail wrapped neatly around its feet, regarding the dragon with a kind of detached curiosity usually reserved for mildly interesting furniture.

The Captain folded his arms, watching from the wall.

"Well," he muttered, "let's see how this plays out."

There was a brief flurry of motion, some indignant screeching, a few offended yowls, and a surprising amount of hissing.

Then silence.

The corporal returned, slightly out of breath. "Sir…target appears to be…neutralized."

The Captain nodded gravely. He peered down into the square, where three cats now lounged atop the dragon with supreme satisfaction "…commend the cats," he said.

The corporal leaned over the wall, then straightened. "Sir, they are ignoring me."

The Captain allowed himself the faintest smile. "Of course they are."

He turned back to his men.

"Stand down. And someone fetch the mages…and bring milk."

Part 2- The City is Defended...by...cats?

Meanwhile on the Ramparts...

The "battle" below had settled into something…difficult to categorize.

A few guards leaned over the parapet, watching with mild interest.

The Captain didn't look down.

"Odds?" he asked.

The quartermaster didn't hesitate. "Cats are two to one favorites, sir."

The Captain nodded once, as if this confirmed a long-held suspicion. He reached into his pouch, produced a leather purse with the unmistakable heavy clink of coin within, and slammed it onto the stone.

"Bet this month's wages on the cats. All in."

The corporal blinked. "Sir?"

The Captain didn't even look at him.

"You heard me."

Below, there was a brief, offended screech, followed by a chorus of hisses and the unmistakable sound of something losing very quickly.

The quartermaster leaned slightly, peering over the edge. "Movement suggests the cats are pressing their advantage, sir."

"Good," said the Captain calmly.

Another pause.

The corporal rubbed his forehead. "Sir…is this…standard protocol?"

The Captain folded his arms.

"It is now."

A beat.

From below? Silence.

The quartermaster straightened. "Outcome appears decided, sir."

The Captain allowed himself the faintest nod. "See?" he said. "Reliable assets."

The corporal sighed quietly, already imagining the paperwork, "…I'm going to need a new column on the duty roster."

 

Part 3- The "Triumph" at the Shady Gutter Tavern

The Shady Gutter tavern sagged under the weight of its own questionable life choices. Tankards lay overturned, a wizard snored face-down in a spell book, and two recruits were arguing with a chair that had, by all accounts, been winning for several hours.

It was, as usual, impossible to tell who was ahead.

The door slammed open.

The Captain of the Guard strode in, armor still dusty, expression carved from equal parts triumph and disbelief.

A mage lifted his head an inch. "Did we…win?"

The Captain paused.

"…Yes."

A recruit squinted. "Did we fire the ballista?"

"No."

"Archers?"

"No."

"Magic?"

The Captain glanced at the unconscious wizard drooling into his sleeve. "…not as such."

The tavern fell into a puzzled silence.

From behind him, the corporal stepped in more quietly, running the numbers in his head for tomorrow's roll call.

"Sir," he muttered, low enough that only the Captain could hear, "how would you like me to write this up?"

The Captain didn't even hesitate.

"Decisive action," he said. "Efficient use of local assets."

The corporal closed his eyes briefly. "Of course, sir."

Outside, in the square, the aftermath remained.

The dragon lay where it had fallen; a small, unimpressive thing that had arrived with grand intentions and departed as a footnote.

Draped across it, the cats rested in various states of satisfied indifference.

One blinked slowly at nothing in particular.

Another cleaned a paw with meticulous focus.

A third lay stretched along the flank, making full use of the lingering warmth while being quietly annoyed at its steady dissipation.

They looked, as they always did: mildly disappointed in the world, and vaguely pleased with themselves.

Back inside, the Captain raised a tankard.

"To the defense of the city!"

"To the defense!" came the ragged reply.

The corporal stared into his drink.

"…I'm putting them on the roster," he muttered.

A pause.

"…and requisitioning milk."

(The End)

Conclusion?

I'm not sure other than the system one is playing in makes all the difference in the world when once considers the age of question of a dragon assaulting a city. Granted I made an absurd story out of the whole thing but the point stands.

In A Lord of the Rings game, Smaug might show up. In 1st edition AD&D fluffy and his friends are wiping out a hatchling before noon.

1st Edition Warhammer Fantasy Role-play? Well...I'm not sure you could wake even wake it up. 

There you have it. What this illustrates is that "can a dragon lay waste to a city?" The smart answer is "maybe" because (RAW) Rules As Written? They can produce some amusing results.

 Let me know your thoughts. 

A4- In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

NOTE: Way back in 2011 I reviewed the entire Slavers series on Dragonsfoot. As I now improve my blog, I'm moving all my content from around the web to here. This is the second review in the A Series for AD&D.

A4 - In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords
By Lawrence Schick
An adventure for characters levels 4-7

Closing out the A-series is A4- In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, written by Lawrence Schick. Like its predecessor, it comes in at 28 pages and sports a fantastic cover by Erol Otis.

Like the previous three modules, A4 is written by yet another author. Looking through the credits for the entire series, you see many of the same names, but everyone seems to have traded roles from one module to the next. Coupled with the fact that these adventures all began life as tournament modules, it helps explain why the series sometimes feels less cohesive than it could have been. That is not to say I enjoy it any less, but I do think it accounts for some of the inconsistencies.

After harrying the Slave Lords' operations throughout A1, A2, and A3, the player characters finally reach the moment of truth. Or rather, that moment has already passed. Stripped of their equipment, deprived of most of their spells, and dumped into the Slave Lords' dungeon, they now have to survive with little more than their wits. Even today that is a memorable opening. At the time, it had to be one of the most original adventure hooks TSR had published. The only comparable shock opener that comes to mind is Vecna Lives!

So there you are. No weapons. No armor. No light. Nothing except a spell scroll that you cannot immediately use because you cannot even read it.

Schick does a good job explaining how to run this unusual situation and how the lack of equipment should affect the players. Mapping becomes almost impossible, which fortunately is not a major issue since the dungeon itself is fairly compact. Because the module predates the Survival Guides and nonweapon proficiencies, some of the mechanics require a bit of hand waving. Running it with later AD&D rules smooths over a few rough edges, but also makes parts of the escape a little easier than originally intended.

Fortunately, the dungeon is littered with odds and ends that resourceful players can turn into makeshift equipment. Rusty daggers, bone clubs, and other scraps are hardly impressive, but they are better than bare hands.

The darkness itself creates an interesting challenge for the Dungeon Master. Without being able to rely on the players seeing a map, the DM has to carefully describe every turn, intersection, and direction of travel. It demands more attention than a typical dungeon.

One part I have never bought, however, is the explanation regarding infravision. According to the text, every part of the dungeon and every inhabitant is effectively the same temperature.

Riiiiight....

The dungeon inhabitants are varied enough to keep things interesting. There is a struggling kobold tribe, an unusually weak will-o-wisp, giant crayfish, giant crabs, cave fishers, and a peaceful colony of myconids who seem content to sit around singing "Kumbayah" in their fungus forest.

The kobolds deserve special mention. They are not much of a threat, but they add something often missing from early TSR dungeons, namely a sense of ecology. They have clearly been driven deeper underground and are slowly dying out, making the dungeon feel like a living place rather than simply a collection of monsters waiting in rooms.

Exactly which route the party takes through the dungeon depends largely on how they solve a handful of obstacles.

Area 19 is probably the easiest escape route, although getting there requires crossing the infamous twenty-foot chasm in Area 18. Players can either attempt a dangerous climb two hundred feet down and back up again or, as my group did years ago, steal the bridge from Area 8 after dealing with the giant ants.

Area 21 is probably the next best option, though the cave fishers make escaping that way a nerve-racking proposition. Three cave fishers firing at lightly equipped characters is no joke.

Area 10 is probably the hardest route since it requires an underwater swim. If memory serves, the expanded map in A1-4: Scourge of the Slave Lords makes this section much easier to understand.

Regardless of which exit the players choose, they emerge onto the island about halfway between the volcano and the docks. The underwater route places them closest to the harbor if they follow the shoreline.

Once outside, most groups will naturally head for the docks.

If they escaped through Area 19, they will almost certainly encounter the looters marked as Area D on the island map. Those uniforms can prove surprisingly useful later, at least they certainly did when my group played through the adventure years ago.

Running into the giant goats could be entertaining. The fire lizard is considerably less so. As for the giant snapping turtle in Area B, I would rather admire it from a distance than experience its 3 to 18 point bite firsthand.

Notes

For my money, A4 has the best artwork in the entire series, with only A3 coming close. The combination of Erol Otis and Jim Roslof is pure old-school TSR gold.

Being a lifelong James Bond fan, I also cannot help thinking this entire setup violates the Evil Overlord List. If you really want to eliminate your enemies, there are much faster and more efficient ways than stripping them naked and tossing them into a dungeon full of monsters.

One oddity I noticed concerns the dungeon map. Two locations are marked "See Detail Map," but unless my secondhand copy is missing a page, those detail maps simply do not exist. It is hardly a major issue, but it is another small inconsistency. EDIT: I believe there is errata for it somewhere or it was fixed in the Super Module A1-4.

Strengths

The adventure's greatest strength is its premise. Taking everything away from the players forces them to rely on ingenuity rather than equipment. Even experienced groups suddenly become cautious because every rusty dagger suddenly matters.

Another overlooked strength is the Slave Lords themselves. Between A3 and A4, we are introduced to a full roster of memorable villains. More importantly, the series provides enough background material to use the Slave Lords as recurring campaign antagonists rather than one-shot villains.

Suderham also deserves another mention. Despite my criticisms of A3, I still think it has the potential to become an outstanding campaign city. In fact, I have seriously considered making it the centerpiece of a future Castles & Crusades campaign, albeit with a larger map.

Among the dungeon encounters, my favorites are Areas 17 and 21. Any module featuring a roper immediately earns points from me, and placing one at the junction of two tunnels creates an excellent choke point. The Cave of Bats is another standout encounter, helped considerably by the fantastic illustration on page one.

My favorite section of the module, however, comes after the dungeon.

Suderham in flames!

The real magic begins once the volcano erupts and the island descends into complete chaos. Lava, poison gas, magmen, terrified refugees, and panicked mobs all combine to create a wonderfully desperate atmosphere. The docks, in particular, capture the feeling perfectly. Looking over the illustrations while reading those pages gives a genuine sense that everything is collapsing around the players.

The Water Dragon is another excellent touch. The surviving Slave Lords are wounded, hurriedly preparing to flee, and trying to salvage what remains of their operation. It feels desperate, chaotic, and entirely believable.

One amusing thought always crosses my mind, though.

The players finally reclaim their equipment, defeat the Slave Lords, seize the galley, and celebrate their escape.

Then the Dungeon Master asks one simple question.

"So...uhhhh...who knows how to sail a galley?"

Cue the sound of crickets...

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness is also one inherited from A3.

For the adventure to function exactly as written, the entire party must be captured at the end of A3. I have never been particularly fond of the explanation that Mordrammo conveniently resurrects dead player characters simply so the adventure can continue. Personally, I would rather introduce replacement characters in the dungeon itself than rely on that amount of narrative hand waving.

Then there is the back cover.

What on earth is that vampire doing there?

I have read this module numerous times and still cannot connect that illustration to anything inside. Since it is by Bill Willingham, I am willing to forgive it, but it remains a mystery.

And while we are discussing the cover...

Pink?

Really?

The largest issue, however, is the inconsistency between A3 and A4 regarding the Slave Lords themselves.

In A3, we are presented with five Slave Lords while repeatedly being told Suderham is the City of the Nine.

Fast forward to A4, where we are informed that six Slave Lords survived the earthquake.

Unless my math has gotten considerably worse over the years, five plus six equals eleven.

So what happened?

Did the Slave Lords practice hot-bunking like sailors? Did some have to stand during meetings because there were only nine thrones? Were there emergency promotions after the events of A3?

More likely, it was simply an editing oversight.

It is hardly a deal breaker, but once you notice it, you cannot help smiling every time you reread the series.

Closing Thoughts

As written, A4 is an excellent adventure built around one of the most original premises TSR ever produced. By taking away the party's equipment, the module forces players to rely on their own ingenuity instead of simply reaching for another magic item.

Once they finally escape the dungeon, the adventure never really lets up. The race across an island collapsing into volcanic chaos provides a fitting conclusion to the series and keeps the pressure on right to the end.

My only real reservation lies in the transition from A3 into A4, which requires a fair amount of Dungeon Master intervention for the setup to work smoothly.

Even so, I highly recommend A4.

Run your players through it. If they are willing to embrace the challenge rather than complain about losing their equipment, they are likely to remember it for years.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.

NOTE: the original review on Dragonsfoot can be found here. 

A3- Aerie of the Slave Lords – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

NOTE: Way back in 2011 I reviewed the entire Slavers series on Dragonsfoot. As I now improve my blog, I'm moving all my content from around the web to here. This is the second review in the A Series for AD&D.

A3- Aerie of the Slave Lords 

By Allen Hammack
An adventure for characters levels 4-7

Ahhhh, A3, the penultimate module of the A series and perhaps the most mixed bag of the lot...

Before I get into this one, people should be aware that none of this is to be taken personally. This is a review. I’d still play or DM A3, it’s just that as written it’s a bit weak and certainly the weakest of the four in the series, in this writer’s estimation.

At 28 pages, A3 is the same page length as A4. But in a lot of ways this one seems, to quote Bilbo Baggins, a bit "thin, like butter scraped across too much bread", sparse if you will. I think the nature of these being tournament modules that were later fleshed out, combined with the Spartan-like nature of this one, creates a bit of a conundrum.

Having assaulted the Slavers’ operations in A1 and one of their way points in A2, the PCs are now on their way to the abode of the Slave Lords themselves, the City of the Nine, Suderham. See my notes on this in my review of A4.

Having been suitably directed from A2, the PCs find themselves in the badlands of the Pomarj near a peak in the Drachengrab Hills. Before them are four narrow caves to enter, and from there they enter a maze?

To me, the cave map in A3 is the clearest indication that this is a tournament module. It’s not bad, it’s simply showing its roots. The explanation of Mad King Olarek using this maze for his political prisoners? Ok, I guess...

Anyway, diving in we get some gnolls, which is nice if for no other reason than a change of pace from orcs in the previous modules. After that it’s a piercer cavern, which at 4 to 24 points of damage is enough to ruin anyone’s day, especially in a tournament.

More gnolls and hyena-dons feasting follow...

Next up is the first real gotcha moment of the module: Room A5. Now the trap is not that devious per se and can be partially circumvented. It’s more a case that there is no way around it. Some would say, "Well duh." That’s not my point. My point is that if you use the NPCs from the tournament as a guide, no one is going to have a fly spell. So swim through they go, taking 1 to 4 points of damage from exertion? Ummm, ok.

The thing that makes the room cool is the quirky Sword of Lyons.

I’ll skip the Stroper, as there are plenty of other monsters to bag on in 1st Edition. These merely get a "meh" from me.

Last but not least, the big bad at the end of the maze is... Wimpell Frump?

You’d think that these ace Slave Lords would have someone more accomplished covering their secret escape route, or at least someone with a better name. Also, it’s apparent from the layout of the dungeon that the illusionist spends all of his time hanging out here, as he has no means for a kitchen, bedroom, or even a garterlobe. Perhaps some illusions to cover that one corner take care of that?

I’m sure some will start gushing because he’s an illusionist and illusionists are uber-cool, you see. Um, yeah, next.

From here we get to the next part, Part B, the City itself. This is accomplished via a long tunnel leading to Scum Slum, the outskirts of Suderham.

And being (stop me if you've heard me say this): it’s a tournament module, the rush is to get to Part C. This is a shame really, as I, like a lot of people, would want more meat on the bone regarding Suderham. The intro and flavor text paragraph is cool and evocative, bringing to mind the description of the Drow city in D3.

Right off the bat the train tracks become apparent. Some old geezer waddles up to the PCs and basically gives them their first clue without doing anything. Again, in a tournament setting this makes sense. It’s important information, a bit cryptic, but smart players will figure it out easily.

It’s also a bit too easy for my tastes unless you’re in a tournament setting. As a campaign, I’d be tempted to have the PCs explore the city and give them enough rope...

Given that the PCs arrive at night, large swathes of the city are closed up while the nightlife is bustling. This is again a construct of the tournament structure. The goal in the tournament was to make it through this section in three hours. Obviously, as a DM, this will require a lot of going it alone for a campaign.

As noted, the nightlife is hopping in Suderham, although why go out when you could be dude pimping it on page 14!

In any event, almost all searching is eventually going to funnel the PCs to B13 and finding the way in through there. A longer campaign might allow for B68.

The inns, bars, taverns, etc. are all filled, as are the Houses of Ill Repute. Imagine the snickering of my 8-year-old self at those when I first read them!

Most players are going to start trolling these for additional information. Another point is that with the city being in "night mode," some PCs might try for mischief right off the bat. Let them. It will bring their attention to the Slavers that much sooner, like if they poke their heads into the Assassins Guild at B18.

Assuming they finally figure things out, there are two ways into the Catacombs in Part C: one by following the clues at B13, and one by chance at B68. It doesn’t really matter, as they both spill into area C1 below.

From there they encounter a Flesh Golem with some extra umph. Assuming they get through him, next up is a mimic, some traps, a Minotaur, obviously a transplant from the maze in Part A, a Gelatinous Cube, Shambling Mound, snakes, and then the Slavers themselves.

Putting that 18/56 strength to use!

Notes

Errr, the Jeff Dee art! Interestingly, I do like the Dee cover.

I mentioned in my A4 review that A3 has the second-best art overall. That’s because there is more Erol Otus and Bill Willingham stuff in it, which me likes. "Ogre" punching Feetla’s shield is kick ass!

I like the location of the city to a degree: on a large lake, on an island, with a volcano. Cool. Can’t imagine what’s going to go wrong with an extinct volcano in the not-too-distant future, however.

If you are into old-school sparseness, it doesn’t get much more sparse than this, maybe except for a Marine barber shop on Paris Island.

The city is numbered with only the barest of descriptions and the like. Want proof? The city is covered in seven pages of text. That has to be some kind of record.

These are assigned A1 to A4, but why? Shouldn’t they have C designations?

Strengths

Our first real look at high-level NPC baddies is the best part of module A3. The five presented are rather iconic and make for great recurring villains.

Suderham, if expanded on, makes for a great city in the scummy sort of way. Who wants cities of shining white and paladins? Not me. Give me gritty and sleazy any day of the week. There is much more to do and explore.

By and large the art is good and fits the piece well. Of particular note is Bill Willingham’s Stroper and the Arabian-attired dude with the harem girls. Otus’ weird-looking gate guards are way cool as well and depict the vertical nature of the walls looming before the PCs.

A one-of-a-kind weapon: in our heart of hearts, us geeks love the basic snippets of stuff in modules like the "legendary" Sword of Lyons. Why is it legendary? That’s for an individual DM to decide.

Weaknesses

The maze at the start.

I noted some points above, but let’s just say it works for a tournament module but not much else. The map is a one-way maze and all that entails. As a player it would most likely annoy. As a DM it could possibly bore you. Your mileage may vary.

The whole island, city, and slums are cramped. Some might like it, but we are talking about city walls that enclose an area of 400 by 400 feet. If I were running this, I’d redraw the map, at least in terms of scale, to make it, as Hannibal Lecter would say, "roomier."

The general layout of the island I have no problem with, nor the crater lake. I simply think the distances are too small. But where am I getting this from, I hear you ask?

Look at the scale on the map on page 28, then compare it to the inside cover map and its scale for the city: 600 feet by 600 feet. In any event, it’s too small for my taste, and the scale seems out of whack. At 600 by 600 yards it’s a bit better, but still not perfect.

Another thing that bothers me is the inconsistency with the city itself. Since the focus is not on the city and it merely serves as a vehicle to gather clues to get to Part C, why are they going into detail about some buildings?

By this I mean consider B16, the Assassins Guild. Is it important to know the membership fees for the guild? In a tournament, no. In a campaign, yes.

This could be a construct of trying to make the modules more user-friendly for a campaign. It’s just that I have a hard time believing these details were in the tournament module, mainly because they would serve no purpose there.

The nature of just who knows what in the city is another issue. Take the bartender at the Sign of the White Knight. Again, we get cryptic responses and no straight answers. I get it supposed to be mysterious but even for the time it falls flat.

Or the Maps and Charts library: "Where those that bear us reside." Ok, first thought, couldn’t that mean females since they bear children? Of course horse makes sense, but this could be confusing, to say the least.

That damned Flesh Golem at C1. You’d think an outfit swimming in loot from all the slave dealings would have more than a measly Flesh Golem with pimped-out iron add-ons. C’mon, Stone Golem here at least!

I’m not buying the pseudo-Iron Golem shtick as a player. Because if it were true, I’d either run if I could or say to hell with it, as I probably don’t have anything that could dent it.

Going hand in hand with this is the ecology of the dungeon, either one. Part A is better, mind you, but Part C? Ugh.

S4 is the poster child for this, but I might be tempted to rank A3 right up there with it. There are a bunch of critters who have to eat, but the straightforward, no-deviation-allowed dungeon design makes it rather implausible.

I know it sounds like a broken record, but once again tournament design is rearing its head.

As with the other modules in the A series, the rewards are few and far between. This is truly the case here, as both "dungeons" have some tough foes for the levels of the party, but little to show for it.

This can be hand-waved by saying why would the Slavers leave such things around? You’d be right in saying that, and I’d agree with that point. The problem is the players might not be happy with the rewards considering the risk.

Closing

In closing, I think A3 has the most problems out of all of them and is the most apparent as a tournament module. In order for it to be more workable, a lot of it has to be redone.

Likewise, people have been arguing over its ending probably since it came out as a published module. As a result, we are not going to end the debate here, that’s for sure.

The capture of PCs intact and not dead is one of the most difficult tasks ever without it being seen as contrived. A far better solution is that if a few PCs die, allow new ones in the dungeons of A4. It’s rather easy to do. Just roll them up and don’t worry about gear.

You’ll note that the strengths section is a bit lacking. That’s not to say that I don’t like this module, far from it. Rather, it’s a case of what I noted several times: sparse.

Seven pages, nearly one quarter taken up by the city, which if used as written the PCs breeze through. That is going to impact the quality, and it does.

The first dungeon is lackluster, and the later one is a bit improbable.

Obviously, I’d use A3 as a starting point and flesh it out from there. There are enough pieces here, in conjunction with A4, for high-level baddies for years to come.

After all, the Slaver operations aren’t just one temple in Highport and one Stockade on the way to Suderham. In fact, you could treat them like trying to grasp Jell-O. The harder you squeeze, the more mess ends up on the floor and the less you have in your fingers.

The Slavers should be used as a great source of material rather than just monsters. That is, at least, my take on it.

Despite its flaws have you played A3?

Dungeon Magazine #70- The Kingdom of the Ghouls – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

Dungeon Magazine #70 - The Kingdom of the Ghouls
by Woflgang Bauer
An adventure for 5-8 PCs, levels 9-15

From pages 48 to 74 of Issue #70 of Dungeon Magazine is one of the finest adventures written for second edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. The adventure itself is a long one, epic in scale and covers quite a bit of ground. Seriously, this one is probably one of the best that 2nd edition has to offer; much like my review of Iron Orb of the Druegar I feel confident ranking it up there with the best of 1st edition as well. I cant state this enough, this thing is awesome: undead, ghouls [true ghouls at that), cloakers, svirfneblin, driders, undead beholders, deep dragons, and more! All the creatures you would want placed in a underground adventure are there. 

On top of all of this, it has some new antagonists that make things quite interesting. So, tired of dealing with drow being over used? In step the ghouls.

While set in Greyhawk, it can easily be transported to any campaign world will minimal fuss and if you are like me these things are a god send in these days of little time to prepare for gaming. 

The Kingdom of the Ghouls centers around mysterious goings on with the Underdark on Oerth (Greyhawk) in the areas of the Yeomanry. I like this you could plunk down the seminal G1-3 for further use, giving the DM plenty of high-level choices to offer his group. It also has its roots back to 1st edition via Yeenoghu (The Demon Lord of Gnolls) in the Monster Manual: "As this demon prince also receives  homage from the King of the Ghouls..." So there you go, one brief passage from the previous edition and BAM! an adventure takes form...

The start of the adventure is the fact that various deep dwelling races are being displaced by some unknown force and the PCs are invited to investigate the matter. Very early on it becomes apparent that all is not right and the PCs become embroiled in the conflict below. Where the PCs get involved is gnomes requesting aide, sounds easy enough...

There are a few paths that the PCs can take and without spoiling it, I will only allude to them. With a big underground space to travel the PCs can and will encounter the evidence of the ghouls depredations. The Ruins of Glimmerfell, the Ghostwood, and the Ruins of Angrimm being very nice touches that add to the overall feel of the module. I particularly like the Ghostwood with the drow banshee. 

Each of these are designed to propel the PCs further towards the ghoul menace and deeper into the adventure. In addition to gathering treasure the PCs (smart ones) also have the opportunity to be able to recruit more forces for their assault.

The module culminates at the Ghoul City of Kilenor along the massive cloaker rift. Its situated in a very defensible position with access being tough to negotiate. A group that attempts a frontal assault with sufficient planning and troops (see "Army of Hope" (see below) is going to get mauled. The only other option I can see is trying to sneak in and using powerful magic to mask the attempt.

Strengths
The Lovecraft quotes and the illustrations definitely lend a very creepy feel to the whole work. The tone of the writing carries this as well. The maps and the illustrations dovetail nicely and the maps are well done themselves leading to no confusion on the part of the DM. 

As noted right in the beginning there are plenty of adventures from Dungeon that can be tied into this as as well: Shards of Day (Issue #60), Swing Shot! (Issue #66) and Uzaglu of the Underdark (issue #67). A few more come to mind that I can thing of: Chasm Bridge (From Dragon Magazine #131- A special insert) and perhaps even as part of the Night Below campaign boxed set. In short, there are plenty ways this can be used and plenty of material to tie it into. One in particular is Khazefryn from Dungeon #81 the last 2nd Edition issue of Dungeon. This could very well be adapted to be part of this adventure. 

Another thing I like about this module is the fact that the ghouls are a force to be reckoned with; which is not what one would expect, especially at higher levels as a PC. They are presented as sweeping aside the other (presumably powerful) underground races. 

Another strong-point is the fact is there are a lot of side adventures or call them scenes perhaps, tied into the adventure with their own story that are open ended. Should the PCs emerge victorious these areas can be used as part of an ongoing underground campaign for follow up. 

I like the fact that the King of the Ghouls need not stand and fight unless he wants to. There are some mechanisms to facilitate escape and should the DM want it he can become a reoccurring foe for down the road.  

The true ghouls themselves- They have a nice host of abilities to cause the PCs trouble. Normally, high level clerics will easily turn ghouls or destroy them outright and depending on the level of the cleric in questions this still may be the case. However, the sheer volume of the ghouls means that the cleric can’t hope to turn them all. I liken it to say "Dawn of the Dead" (2004 version) there are simply too many of them. 

Treasure is in line with what one would expect for an adventure of this magnitude as are the XP awards. The PCs can accumulate a fair amount of loot, but a enterprising Dungeon Master can have fun with that. Or if you are like me as a player use it! Give it to henchmen and the like.

Oh yeah, having a Nodwick cartoon for it at the end is always welcome!

Weaknesses
The start of the adventure is the standard "the local lord approaches with a mission" in this case a gnome. While not bad, it is a bit overused. It does not have to be used as is or perhaps the DM could invent other ways to motivate the PCs. In any event a minor quibble. 

The Army of Hope mechanism. I’m of two minds on this: one it hearkens back to -War Machine in the BECMI days which is cool. The flip of this is takes away something of the story. Another possibility to combat this is to use Battlesystem or Battlesystem Skirmish for 2nd edition to balance this out. Being a war-gamer I’d go for Battlesystem. For those DMs/groups who are not, then use the Army of Hope as it works to keep the PCs the central focus while the army action takes place as a background event as it were. 

Another problem is that assault or infiltrating Blackgate Palace could be an issue even without fighting everything the PCs come across. The reason is that in city filled with ghouls and other denizens; the likelihood of retreating to rest and regain spells is going to be minimal at best. So if the group gets into even minor scrap its going to find it difficult to complete their mission. 

Closing
In closing if you are looking for a high level adventure for your group then go no further then this. I have yet to use it, as my current crop of PCs are rising in level this one is becoming closer and closer. 

So for those that have this adventure or better yet have played it, what are your thoughts?

NOTE: the original review appears here at dragonsfoot.org 

A2- Secret of the Slaves Stockade – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

NOTE: Way back in 2011 I reviewed the entire Slavers series on Dragonsfoot. As I now improve my blog, I'm moving all my content from around the web to here. This is the second review in the A Series for AD&D.

A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade
By Harold Johnson with Tom Moldvay
An adventure for characters levels 4-7

A2 is part of the much-loved A-series and is written by Harold Johnson with Tom Moldvay. The last page notes “Special thanks to Tom Moldvay, without whom this module would not have been finished.” One wonders what production headaches led to that line. My guess? It ran into serious issues before it went to print aka deadline crunch.

At 40 pages this one is a bit bigger than the rest of the series, and it just might be my favorite of the lot. Along with A1, A2 represents some of my first forays into AD&D — and it’s personal. I still have the character I adventured with back then: a ranger named Leif Garwind. (We were studying Vikings in school at the time, so sue me.)

Let’s start with the outside: Roslof cover art? Check. That gold-ish tone instead of A4’s unfortunate pink? Check. Erol Otus cloaker on the back cover that actually makes sense? Check. With the presentation and the maps inside, we’re off to a strong start.

The PCs arrive outside the fortress thanks to the hook from A1 - Slave Pits of the Undercity. Getting in is no easy matter. There’s essentially one main entrance staring you in the face (barring the obscure Area 39 route). The gate guards are nothing special, but the anhkheg at Area 5 combined with guards on the walls and flaming oil from Area 6 is a recipe for a very quick TPK aka ("Total Party Kill). As a Dungeon Master I love anhkhegs for item saving throws and general chaos, but this opening gauntlet is brutal.

Assuming your party survives the meat grinder (or sneaks in another way), the rest of the compound opens up, though it’s rarely easy. Area 13 can mean instant capture if you’re not careful. Area 19 has that classic old-school wackiness (supernatural events that are actually ruses), which I enjoy in principle but felt a bit forced here. The cloaker at Area 25 is legitimately cool and can absolutely ruin a party’s day.

The half-orcs, hobgoblins, and slave-taking flavor build a nasty little ecosystem. Then you hit the real bosses: the Executioner (Area 32), Icar the blind fire-loving swordsman (Area 5), and especially Markessa in her laboratory (Area 22). Markessa is properly unhinged — chaotic evil experiments on slaves to create the “perfect” servant. The fight there, with its owl bears and body horror, still stands out.

Below ground the slave pens and caves add another layer. The varied prisoners (including potential future allies) give the module real campaign depth. The whole place just feels lived-in and nasty in a way that rewards multiple reads.

Notes

• Less Jeff Dee is generally better, though I do like his Icar piece. His stuff works for other games, less so for fantasy in my opinion.
• Otus and the other interior art  (minimal as it is) still carries the module.
• The maps are some of the best fortress layouts in early AD&D. They are clean and clear and are believable for the environment.

Strengths 

One of the greatest strengths of A2 is the detail of the maps. If you’re like me, A2 represented one of the best early examples of a fully realized castle/fortress in published AD&D. It was fascinating to my eight-year-old self; back when my friends and I were figuring the game out with no one teaching us. The map is dense, with lots of ground to cover and a believable, lived-in feel. The crumbling, partially repaired construction of the fort adds atmosphere, and little touches like the madman playing mind games with the hobgoblins (climbing around in areas 16a-f) give the place real personality. 

This is the module that feels the most like a real, functioning evil outpost. The NPC leaders have personality (especially crazy Markessa and fireproof Icar). The mix of monsters, traps, and role-play opportunities is strong. It oozes atmosphere and has that slight Warhammer-adjacent grimness I loved even back then.

An overlooked part of A2 in my opinion is that it introduces a number of iconic AD&D monsters: boogle (obviously an homage to Gollum), cloakers, phantoms, and haunts. This wasn't suprising for early TSR modules: new monsters and magic items were par for the course.

Weaknesses A frontal assault is borderline suicidal for a typical 4-7th level party. The defenders are well-positioned, and reinforcements or alarms can snowball fast. Some of the traps and set pieces (the swinging chandelier, for example) feel a bit contrived. Loot is better than A1- Slave Pits of the Undercity, but still modest for the risk unless you’re running the whole series.

Closing A2 isn’t perfect, but it’s the strongest of the A-series for me. It has the best mix of atmosphere, memorable villains, and that lived-in slaver-fortress vibe. If your party is smart (or lucky), it becomes a nasty, rewarding crawl. If they’re not…well, bring spare characters.

The original review can be found here on Dragonsfoot.

Have you run or played A2? Did the fortress assault go as badly as I suspect it often did? Let me know in the comments.

The Greatest Warriors of the Westeros- #5 Daemon I Blackfyre, The Black Dragon

Daemon Blackfyre by Amok ©

 

Back in 2011 I originally created a Top 10 list of the Greatest Warriors of the Westeros. What began as a Top 10 expanded to a full 20 in light of the additional material and perspective we gained rom new books and sources. Because of that, certain characters did not appear in the list and are now added to the overall Top 20. 

Also note that because of the tie at #3 with Jaime Lannister and Barristan Selmy, there is no number 4 on the list.

The overall Top 20 Greatest Warriors of the Westeros can be found here. 

#5- Daemon I Blackfyre, The Black Dragon

Daemon Blackfyre is one of the most fascinating warriors in all of A Song of Ice and Fire. He could have been written as a one-dimensional villain or usurper. Instead, George R. R. Martin presents him as a figure whose martial excellence is respected by friend and foe alike.

His parentage is not surprising for a Targaryen, and it all starts with is mother Daena Targaryen. Before we get to his father, its important to discuss Daena's first husband, her brother Baelor the Blessed. Its enough to know that their marriage was never consummated due to Baelor's piety, despite being married for a number of years. She eventually escaped the Maidenvault where Baelor had kept her.

Art by Marc Simonetti ©

Now enter Daemon's father who was Daena's cousin ending up becoming Aegon IV "The Unworthy", the most monstrous and cruel King to ever sit on the Iron Throne. His vices and gluttony were legendary in the annals of the Seven Kingdoms. No woman high or low could slake appetites. 

It would be the legitimizing and knighting of Daemon by his father (plus gifting him Blackfyre) over his own true born son Daeron that would set the stage for much misery to come in the form of the Blackfyre Rebellions.

In due time his elder half-brother Daerin II ascended to the throne.. right after Aegon IV legimized all his bastards on his death bed. Dropping the name Rivers, Daemon took Blackfyre as the name of his house. For time the peace held.

The 1st Blackfyre rebellion did not come immediately but when it did it was a year of violence culminating with the Battle of the Redgrass Field. Daemon fought Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsgaurd in a masterful duel and eventually defeated him only to be undone by a storm of arrows  at the behest of Brynden Rivers, The Blood Raven. 

The Blackfyres vs the Targaryens  by Gary Gianni ©

Character

Unlike many legendary figures from Westerosi history, Daemon's reputation is particularly compelling because it survived despite the politics of the Blackfyre Rebellion. He was the losing claimant, the rebel whose descendants would wage generations of failed wars against the Iron Throne, though none as successfully as the first. If anything, history had every reason to diminish his accomplishments. Instead, he is consistently remembered as handsome, charismatic, courageous, and one of the greatest warriors of his age.

Daemon was more than a gifted swordsman. He was a battlefield commander who inspired fierce loyalty from some of the finest knights in the realm. Wielding the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre, he embodied the image of the ideal warrior-king, and his personal magnetism was a major reason so many rallied to his cause. Its remarked that he is "The Warrior himself" upon the battlefield.

Martin also uses Daemon as one of his favorite literary devices: contrast. The son of arguably the worst Targaryen king became one of the greatest warriors in Westerosi history. His cause ultimately failed, but his reputation as a fighter endured. That says as much about the man as it does about the legends surrounding him. History is written by the winners its said, but in this case even though he lost he has near universal acclaim a century later.

As a leader of men he is also universally praised through history and thus gains additional standing in this list because of it. 

Verdict

Had Daemon been born legitimate, he might have made a great king. He had all the hallmarks for it. The smallfolk and highborn alike remarked that he looked and acted like a king, that he was everything a king should be.

But alas, his mother’s schemes to become pregnant derailed that. And if we look at it honestly, the fault can be laid at the feet of Baelor the Blessed driving her into the arms of her cousin, Aegon. Had he not, it’s interesting to ponder how much bloodshed and misery might have been avoided. In a way this parallels the choice Rhaegar made when he passed over his own wife to crown Lyanna Stark the Queen of Love and Beauty at the Tourney of Harrenhal a century later as told through the thoughts of Ser Barristan.

The major repercussions of that tourney would have huge consequences. And so it would be that the decisions of Baelor the Blessed outlived him.

 

Judge's Guild - Deluxe Collectors Edition Volume I

 

Talk about a post lingering in a draft state, that would be this one...

I got my copy of Judge's Guild - Deluxe Collectors Edition Volume I in late spring 2018, but I didn't fully "receive it" till Christmas. And in true fashion of the delay surrounding the book, I just finally got around to blogging about it… in 2026.

That alone probably tells you something.

I’ve got some conflicted feelings here, and they didn’t start with the book itself. For years, I’ve listened to grognards go on....and on....endlessly about the supposed glory days of Judges Guild. About how their products were "the greatest thing ever!"

You know the type. Everything modern is garbage, everything old is genius, and if you don’t agree, you “just don’t get it.” Normally, I tune that kind of noise out completely. But this time? The sheer, relentless insistence got through. Not in a convincing way, but in a “fine, I’ll see it for myself” kind of way.

And that’s the key point here: I didn’t come to this book fresh. I came to it carrying years of secondhand hype, contrarian instinct, and probably a bit of irritation. That matters.

So when I finally cracked open the tome, I wasn’t looking for validation, I was looking for clarity not someone else's, my own.

First impressions: the layout is exactly what you’d expect from a “best of” compilation. Because let’s not kid ourselves, that’s what this is. It’s a curated slice of early material, framed with just enough historical context to give it weight. The opening section does a solid job walking through the early history of Judges Guild, grounding the reader in that late-70s moment when tabletop RPGs were less an industry and more a frontier.

And that’s really the lens you have to use here: frontier.

Once you move past the intro, you hit the actual content: the early modules, the raw material. And this is where things get interesting. Not because it’s polished. Not because it’s elegant. But because it isn’t.

This stuff is rough. Not “bad” rough, but unfiltered rough. You can feel that these were written at a time when nobody had figured out what a module “should” look like yet. There’s a looseness to the structure, an almost improvisational quality. Organization can be spotty. Key information isn’t always where you expect it. Some encounters feel like they were dropped in because they seemed cool at the time, not because they serve a larger design.

And yet…

There’s a kind of energy here that’s hard to ignore.

You start to see what the grognards are actually responding to: not the execution, but the possibility. These modules don’t hold your hand. They don’t try to balance every encounter or script every outcome. They assume a Dungeon Master who is willing, expected, even to fill in gaps, make rulings, and shape the experience at the table.

It’s less a finished product and more a toolkit. Or maybe more accurately, a box of parts.

That’s both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness.

If you come to this expecting modern standards: tight layout, clear encounter design, balanced progression, you’re going to bounce off hard. There’s no way around that. But if you approach it as a snapshot of the hobby in its formative years, it becomes something else entirely. Not better, necessarily, but more revealing.

And this is where I land, at least for now:

The book didn’t convert me into a Judges Guild evangelist. Not even close. But it did cut through the noise. It stripped away the myth and replaced it with something more useful: a direct look at what these products actually were.

Not sacred texts. Not forgotten masterpieces.

Just early work. Messy, ambitious, uneven…and occasionally, genuinely interesting.

And honestly? That’s probably more valuable than the hype ever was.

A end note, if you've never seen this thing in person? its a beast of a book, 18x13x1 1/2 inches. Not sure of the weight but if swung as a weapon it could certainly do some damage, maybe a footman's mace, 1d6+1 vs Small/Medium, 1d6 vs Large.