RetroRoleplaying

Published by Wizards of the Coast.

Purchase PDF at RPGNow.

Reviews

Worst. Module. Ever.

I try very hard not to be hyperbolic on this blog; I know I often don’t succeed. But I am hard pressed to think of any module published under the Dungeons & Dragons banner that was worse than 1988’s Castle Greyhawk. Consider: Gary Gygax’s legendary Castle Greyhawk had never seen publication except in snippets (such as Dungeonland, Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, and Isle of the Ape). There were occasional — unrealized — intimations by Gary that TSR might one day published this megadungeon in a more complete form. When module WG7 was released, as part of the World of Greyhawk brand, no less, I am sure many expected it to be the fulfillment of a long-held dream. I know I did.

Read the Full Retrospective/Review at Grognardia.

Published by Wizards of the Coast.

Purchase PDF at RPGNow.

Reviews

Let me state for the record that I absolutely hate the title of this module, which I think implicitly places far too much emphasis not just on the character of Mordenkainen but also on the adventure he and his companions had there in 1973. There are few people for whom the prehistory of Dungeons & Dragons is as important as it is for me. Had I the money and time to do so, I’d certainly be flying all over the country, interviewing people associated with the early days of the hobby in order to record their reminiscences for posterity. We’ve already lost far too many of our founding fathers as it is — and their memories along with them. Their experiences at the start of it all are important and ought to be preserved.

Read the Full Retrospective/Review at Grognardia.

Published by Ye Olde Gaming Companye.

Purchase PDF at RPGNow.

Reviews

I hate the term “fantasy heartbreaker,” not so much for its original purpose — though I do have serious issues with it even in that form — but for the way it’s become shorthand in some quarters for simply dismissing a fantasy game without the need for rational discussion of its merits or flaws. Like “nerd rage,” it’s used as a substitute for both thought and empathy and I loathe it. That’s why, when I was asked by Jimmy Swill of Ye Olde Gaming Companye (YOGC) to read its new fantasy roleplaying game, Wayfarers, I agreed to do so. Though I already have D&D in various forms for my gaming needs, that doesn’t mean I can’t potentially learn a thing or two from other RPGs, particularly ones that explicitly tout their “old-school feel.”

Read the Full Review at Grognardia.

Published by Wizards of the Coast.

Purchase PDF at RPGNow.

Reviews

The first offering published by TSR UK, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh set the standard for the installments that would follow it in the U and UK series. An introductory mystery-style module, the adventure writes the first chapter of a plotline that continues in U2 Danger at Dunwater and U3 The Final Enemy. Not surprisingly, the writing here is top-notch, the plot twists clever, and the atmosphere engrossing–traits that (IMHO) infuse all the modules this fantastic team presented. U1 is certainly suitable for experienced gamers beginning a fresh campaign, but it really shines in its potential for new DMs and Players.

Read the Full Review at Dragonsfoot

What really stands out about U1 are two things. First, it takes the standard low-level D&D tropes — an isolated town beset by problems appropriate for 1st-level characters to deal with — and gives them a new spin. The town of Saltmarsh itself is given glorious life through its many NPCs, including criminals in league with smugglers who are using a nearby abandoned reputedly haunted mansion as their base of operations. What’s terrific is that the mansion is not in fact haunted at all but is only made to appear so through the use of illusion magic and other trickery. The vast majority of the enemies the PCs face initially are in fact human, which puts the module very much in line with the traditions of pulp fantasy.

Read the Full Retrospective/Review at Grognardia.

Published by Judges Guild.

Purchase PDF at RPGNow. (Sadly, not the original but a remake aimed at 3.x)

Reviews

Tegel Manor vexes me.

First published in 1977 and revised in 1980 (and expanded in 1989) by Judges Guild, Tegel Manor is without a doubt one of Bob Bledsaw’s masterpieces. Describing a sprawling 240-room haunted castle, the module is a textbook example of a funhouse dungeon, utterly lacking in anything resembling an ecology and filled with many encounters for which the adjective “whimsical” is charitable at best. The contents and/or inhabitants of each room are random — in some cases literally — meaning that, here you might find nothing more threatening than some giant beetles but next door you might find a Type III demon polymorphed as a kindly old beggar.

Read the Full Retrospective/Review at Grognardia.