B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands

There is not much more that I could add to what has already been said about the #7  ranked module of all time. I am actually more of a fan of B1 In Search of the Unknown  more than I am of B2. Please don't get me wrong but I like the good old fashioned  dungeon crawl factor of it. That and it has some things that became "standards" in  dungeon design. But I digress.

There have been incredibly more pages written about "The Keep" than there are to "The Keep". If you  factor out the useful DM material and resources this is further exaggerated. There are innumerable detractors of the module and it does have some issues. The ecology of the area is  about as impracticable as it could be without being a zoo. Still that is the way it was  some 32 years ago. Anyone who hates on the module really needs to learn to respect what has come before and appreciate the classics that laid the groundwork in a fledgling industry.

It was pointed out the review I mention below may have been meant as comedy. If so I misunderstood. I apologize if that is the case but I still hold true to the other comments about the newer stuff not holding up and the sue of the phrase Pirates of the Coast. Teach me to not look at Tags won't it!

I want to point on in the review here Mike Mearls told us in no uncertain terms how bad it was. I quote him as saying "It really is too late to warn you about this one, isn't it?" and "If you paid for it, you got ripped off". Not railing against 3e or 4e or whatever the next edition whose sole purpose is to bleed money off of people is but pointing out that this module will have more staying power than anything produced by Pirates of the Coast.


The other review on that site is a little more kind but wants to make fun of something Gary Gygax wrote. I have copied that below here but want to point out that James Landy gave much better reviews to a number of Pirates of the Coast and 3e modules that are really pretty bad. But below is what Gary Gygax with all his pretensions (his words) wrote...thank you for inspiring Gary rather than directing:

"You are not entering this world in the usual manner, for you are setting forth to be a Dungeon Master. Certainly there are stout fighters, mighty magic-users, wily thieves, and courageous clerics who will make their mark in the magical lands of D&D adventure. You however, are above even the greatest of these, for as DM you are to become the Shaper of the Cosmos. It is you who will give form and content to the all the universe. You will breathe life into the stillness, giving meaning and purpose to all the actions which are to follow."

I have no qualms saying that this is a module that everyone should own. Not only  because it is a worth owning and being run through or running by all at least once in  a gamers life but because it is a piece of history. I feel certain that in 2033 there  will not be one 3.x module that is considered in such regard as this one. If there is  please let me know so I can but it now.

Published: 1980
Pages: 28

Excerpt from the adventure:

Background

The Realms of mankind is narrow and constricted. Always the forces of Chaos press upon  its borders, seeking to enslave its populace, rape its riches, and steal its  treasures. If it were not for a stout few, many in the Realm would indeed fall prey to  the evil which surrounds them. Yet, there are always certain exceptional and brave  members of humanity, as well as similar individuals among its allies - dwarves, elves,  and halflings - who rise above the common level and join battle to stave off the  darkness which would otherwise overwhelm the land. Bold adventurers from the Realm set  off to the Borderlands to seek their fortune. (...)

You are indeed members of that exceptional class, adventurers who have journeyed to  the Keep on the Borderlands in search of fame and fortune.

Basic Rulebook - Holmes, Cassandra's Mystical Mirror

I won't spend a lot of time writing about this as it is being reviewed in great detail right now and has been discussed at length in many others. This is not the one that began it all but for many it was the one that began it for them. I came in at the tail end of this and the release of AD&D. My first character was rolled using the AD&D Players Handbook but this is the first book I read on the game. It was lent to me by our first DM who was our high school calculus teacher. I know I poured over this again and again just amazed at the concept of it as a game and enthralled at the effect it had on my imagination. I still have at lest one copy of this within easy reach almost all the time. This may not be my favorite edition of the game but it is was my first D&D rulebook I was able to read (the first I bought was the AD&D PHB) and we always know how we adore our firsts.

Spell:

Cassandra's Mystical Mirror

Level: Fifth
Range: 3"
Duration: 6 Turns/Level
Ares Effect: 1/2 SqFt/level
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 Turn
Saving Throw: None

This spell has two distinct version of it that may be cast. The first will cause the area effected to act as a crystal ball to any area that the caster has ever seen or been to. The second will create a reflective surface that will show all on it in their true form. Either spell may be cast but the version is determined at the time of casting and it may not be changed once cast.

An area affected by the first version will in all ways act as the basic version of a magical crystal ball. The exception to this is that it is limited to places. People may not be the default subject though people in the area specified will be seen. Individuals of a normal nature will will not be able to detect that they are being observed but magical, supernatural or extra-planar being may do so as per standard rules for this. There is a 10% chance per round that any being that has detected that they are being observed will then be able to view those who are observing them through the mirror but the caster is immediately aware of this. Most creatures will despise being viewed in this manner and will have a 25% chance to become fixated on finding those who viewed it.

The second version of the spell will show any who are reflected on their surface as they really are. This will affect illusion, polymorphed creatures, petrified creatures as well as showing any who are invisible. Naturally invisible creatures will be seen as a smokey silhouette. Supernatural beings in their natural form will be seen with an aura surrounding the form. The mirror will also cause creatures passing by it on the Astral or Ethereal plane to be seen on its surface.

Another effect of the second version is that it will cause normal beings who are looking at the mirror from the caster side to see what their spirit or soul would look like if it could be seen. This will happen if more than one turn is spent looking at the mirror. For all intents and purposes their sins and true nature are being laid bare to them. Those who see their inner being must make a saving throw versus spells. Good aligned beings will save at +2, Neutral aligned save normally and Evil aligned save at -2. Those who fail the save are stunned and stare transfixed for 2-5 rounds and then must save again and those who fail will flee the presence of the mirror.

The material component for this spell is the same regardless of the version cast. The component is a small silver mirror which will shatter at the end of the spells duration or upon it being dispelled.

Spell Commentary: I had forgotten about the second effect of the second casting until I was typping it in. I have always thought the idea in Shallow Hal was neat. Now I see why. Wonder if my idea was poached?

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

B1-9 In Search of Adventure

In the wake of the success of T1-4 "The Temple of Elemental Evil" TSR began to publish what were marketed as super-modules. These were almost all 128 page (or so) perfect bound compilations of older modules. There were a few that were compilation of shorter new material which were designed to be one or two session adventures used a filler between other modules or inserted into home brew campaigns. None of these super modules met with the same success as TEE except for the GDQ1 which surpassed it and this one. This is perhaps my favorite other than TEE. This gives the DM a combined source of starter modules and these span the entire range of Holmes, B/X and BECMI. I can't recall if any of the included modules were published after the Rules Cyclopedia was. Regardless this is my second favorite and what I feel to be the third best of all the super modules. It won't take your characters from 1- 8 (or higher level) and it is not the world/plane spanning epic of GDQ but it does give the sometime novice or sometime lazy DM a nice selection of kick off points for a campaign.