Spoilers for the adventures within…
The first issue of Dungeon appeared in 1986. I find it really fascinating to examine and see elements that are still part of publications of the past several years and even now in En5ider. This magazine, unlike its elder sister publication, Dragon, is noted to be providing adventure modules. This is principally the reason that I am most interested in examining this publication throughout its history and recording my thoughts; after all, modules are the easiest content to use in any edition or even other fantasy RPG. It’s important to note that I’ll be spoiling most of these adventures. So if you plan to ever play any, then maybe duck out.
The idea behind the magazine too is interesting—encouraging readers playing the game to submit their own adventures for publication. Of course, it’s noted that they become property of TSR once submitted—hence why we still see Dungeon modules crop up in official D&D products from WOTC. It’s also noted that the magazine will be bimonthly at this time.
I love the cover art by Keith Parkinson, which references one of the adventures within. This is what I imagine when I think of a dragon hoard. Indeed, one so large that it is essentially impossible to carry all of it at once.
The letters to the editor are also fun. They are very reminiscent of social media comments. It’s interesting to see how the more some things change, the more others remain the same.
The first adventure of the new publication is The Dark Tower of Cabilar, by Michael Ashton and Lee Sperry. It’s noted that these two are college students in a brief biographical paragraph—I don’t know that many modern, even amateur, designers fall into that demographic now—would be cool to see again. The module is quite substantial too, taking up fourteen pages of the publication. It is designed for 4-8 AD&D characters of 4-7th level.
The adventure set up is rather elaborate in backstory, but gameplay starts with a hard cut to the dungeon. I like the backstory though, as it’s a generic enough story to adapt to any setting. Briefly, a city’s king and city council were assassinated by an evil spellcaster, but the prince was saved along with the crown. The crown was stolen by a vampire who happens to live in the evil spellcaster villain’s former lair. The adventurers are tasked to retrieve the crown to establish the prince’s legitimate claim.
Some odd bits of design include making saving throws for wooden ledges with modifiers based on adventurers’ encumbrance. Another is a d10 roll to determine how many firedrakes are in an area of effect spell—an interesting idea for randomizing theater of the mind combat. I’m not a hundred percent on board with the dungeon design. Entering involves climbing or flying up to the top and then going down, with the main chambers under the town in a three level dungeon. While reminiscent of the Tower of the Elephant, this design feels a bit contrived. There’s also odd omissions—like a door in room nine, described in the read aloud text, which doesn’t seem to lead anywhere or be referenced any further in the room description. Finally, it’s interesting how the HP for every single monster is individually specified. Even the weapons load outs for a band of orcs is laid out in a table.
It is certainly an example of a fun house dungeon, with touches like exploding books with no save for the damage, and more. It would be fairly easy to run using 5e, and probably even easier with Shadowdark. I don’t know if the dungeon is to my taste in some aspects, but I like the overall framing for the story.
The next adventure is Assault on Eddistone Point, by Patricia Nead Elrod, designed for 3 to 5 adventurers of 1st to 3rd level. The introduction and adventure set up is pretty involved (holy one and a half pages of exposition Batman!) It sets up a mystery, basically with a trade network that is crucial to the peace between two previously warring cities. A system of signaling towers connects the cities for communication and to guarantee each abides by the rules of their trade and peace treaty. The cities are now making the signaling towers capable of functioning at night through magic, and a magic user accompanied by a group (all fully described by the way) are traveling to each tower—but wait! They’ve gone missing!
It’s a fairly simple exploration of a linear watchtower, and the antagonists are a group of bandits, but it’s good to see these tropes appear in the work of years gone by. The level of effort put into the cartography and three art spots for this article is fascinating, and the maps provide some good references for inspiration. But all in all, a middling adventure too, but more usable for me personally than the Dark Tower.
Part 2
