Module Recommendations

Chainsaw · Nov 3, 2008

So.. I DM'ed alot of 2E back in high school, got distracted in college, picked up 3E right after, played a couple games, but got distracted again, and recently picked up 4E, thinking "Man, it would be great to start playing again." While reading through my new 4E books, I decided I needed a few house rules. Fortunately, I remembered that an old friend had given me a 1E DMG (I lost all my old 2E books somehow). I grabbed that to look something up and realized I actually had the 1E PH and 1E MM as well. Plus, I had a Holmes Basic Set and some original 1E adventures as well - In Search of the Unknown (B1), Against the Giants (G1-3), D1-3 (Descent, Kuo-Toa and Vault of Drow), Tomb of Horrors (S1) and Village of Hommlet (T1). All of this material had been given to me (and forgotten) over the years. Apparently I am easily distracted and have a really bad memory - great traits for a DM, eh? Who wants to join my campaign? Haha.

Anyway, after discovering this material and reading through it, I felt as if under an enchantment, heh. The 1E rules set seemed to accomplish everything I was trying to house rule with 4E - I decided that maybe it would be fun to leverage any vestiges of 2E knowledge I had by starting up a 1E campaign and running through the best of the old modules.

Finally, my question - what modules should I run through? I can buy Keep on the Borderlands and do that one first. That seems without question based on what I read on these boards. After that, I'm not quite sure. I have the G series, D series and the others, but I'd love to hear any opinions as to what might be the best sequence of modules if I wanted to move a party from level one to level eighteen (or whatever).

1. Keep on the Borderlands
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

Gwaihir · Nov 3, 2008

I'd do this: (the usual progression + KOTB)

Keep on The Borderlands
Temple of Elemental Evil
Slavers Series ( You can get PDF through Paizo)
Against the Giants through Queen of the Demonweb pits.
Tomb of Horrors to write the Characters epitaph...

I haven't played Temple of Elemental Evil in a LONG time, but figure out someway for the Drow to be involved and you've got an overarching campaign...

I'd do this if only I could get my group to play 1e

ExploderWizard · Nov 3, 2008

Keep on the Borderlands was written for Holmes/ Moldvay D&D but you can run it in 1E with little problem. The G&D series is for higher levels and B1 (also for basic D&D) and T1 are for beginning characters much like B2.

From the looks of your collection you are missing material for the 3-8 level range. The A slavers series is good for this range. I also like pretty much anything in the I series too.

thedungeondelver · Nov 3, 2008

Chainsaw said:
So.. I DM'ed alot of 2E back in high school, got distracted in college, picked up 3E right after, played a couple games, but got distracted again, and recently picked up 4E, thinking "Man, it would be great to start playing again." While reading through my new 4E books, I decided I needed a few house rules. Fortunately, I remembered that an old friend had given me a 1E DMG (I lost all my old 2E books somehow). I grabbed that to look something up and realized I actually had the 1E PH and 1E MM as well. Plus, I had a Holmes Basic Set and some original 1E adventures as well - In Search of the Unknown (B1), Against the Giants (G1-3), D1-3 (Descent, Kuo-Toa and Vault of Drow), Tomb of Horrors (S1) and Village of Hommlet (T1). All of this material had been given to me (and forgotten) over the years. Apparently I am easily distracted and have a really bad memory - great traits for a DM, eh? Who wants to join my campaign? Haha.

Anyway, after discovering this material and reading through it, I felt as if under an enchantment, heh. The 1E rules set seemed to accomplish everything I was trying to house rule with 4E - I decided that maybe it would be fun to leverage any vestiges of 2E knowledge I had by starting up a 1E campaign and running through the best of the old modules.

Finally, my question - what modules should I run through? I can buy Keep on the Borderlands and do that one first. That seems without question based on what I read on these boards. After that, I'm not quite sure. I have the G series, D series and the others, but I'd love to hear any opinions as to what might be the best sequence of modules if I wanted to move a party from level one to level eighteen (or whatever).

1. Keep on the Borderlands
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

2. T1-4 THE TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL
3. WG4 THE FORGOTTEN TEMPLE OF THARIZDUN
4. S4 LOST CAVERNS OF TSOJCANTH
5. S1 TOMB OF HORRORS

Do this and your players will ~~curse~~thank you!

Grazzt · Nov 3, 2008

1. Keep on the Borderlands (or Sinister Secret of Salt Marsh)
2. Secret of Bone Hill
3. A series
4. G series
5. D series
6. Tomb of Horrors

Chainsaw · Nov 3, 2008

Gwaihir: Awesome, thanks for the advice. I will get the other ToEE module, link in the Drow and have my connection. Looks like you have ToEE listed early in the progression. For some reason I always thought it was a high level adventure - I must be thinking of Return to the Temple or something.

Exploder Wizard: Exactly. I'm missing the 3-8th level range. I'll check out the Slavers.

Philotomy Jurament · Nov 3, 2008

I'm not a big fan of plotting an "adventure path" for the PCs, so I'll forgo suggesting a sequence (I prefer a looser arrangement where the PCs decide what direction and what plot hooks to go after, and I react to them). There are a *lot* of good modules that will work with AD&D, though:

Old Stuff

A4, B1, B4, C1, D-series, EX1, EX2, G-series, I1, S1, S3, S4, WG4, WG5, X1, X2
Caverns of Thracia
Tegel Manor
Dark Tower
Night of the Walking Wet
The Abduction of Good King Despot

New Stuff

Pod Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
Tomb of the Iron God
The Red Mausoleum
Curse of the Witch Head
Saga of the Witch Queen
Bottle City
The Original Living Room
Cairn of the Skeleton King

Chainsaw · Nov 3, 2008

Thanks for the advice dungeondelver. I will check those out.

Incidentally, back when I played 2E, I never realized how little difference there was between it and 1E. I would have definitely used 1E back in the day if I'd realized how much more flavor it had, what with assassins, demons, devils and so on.

thedungeondelver · Nov 3, 2008

Chainsaw said:
Thanks for the advice dungeondelver. I will check those out.

You're welcome. I think you'll find that WG4 and S4 combined is a massive campaign - huge tracts of land (no, really, they both have large outdoor encounter areas), great dungeons, very cool GREYHAWK information therein. I think you'll like it quite a bit.

Incidentally, back when I played 2E, I never realized how little difference there was between it and 1E. I would have definitely used 1E back in the day if I'd realized how much more flavor it had, what with assassins, demons, devils and so on.

TRVTH.

Chainsaw · Nov 3, 2008

Phil - I totally understand what you mean. Bad choice of words on my part. I'm not so much interested in railroading them into a specific path as I am in making sure I have a quality offering (or several) ready for each power level. That's what so great about having some of you guys provide differing suggestions!