Wik
First Post
So, I was at my local gaming store when I found an old copy of the OD&D module, Isle of Dread. I picked it up for a *hefty* six bucks cdn, and started leafing through it nostalgically. See, I don't run too many published adventures, but I *did* run Isle of Dread.
Not only that, but it was my first real campaign.
*Don't read any more if you haven't played the adventure and intend on doing so... someday*
Of course, we ran it heavily modified. We were using the 2e AD&D ruleset, mixed in with 1e and a bit of OD&D, with me converting monsters on the fly. My favourite thing about this adventure the first time I ran it was the fact that you gave the PCs an incomplete map, and let them fill in the details. I remember that the group had poor dealings with the local natives in the southern villages, thanks to the zombies the villagers kept ("no way these are good guys, let's go!") and that the group wound up making their base of operations in the Phanaton village (due, I think, to the fact that I loved tree-dwelling small folk). I also threw in some Tasloi and Grippli encounters in the jungles, because I was crazy about those critters.
Looking over it now, I keep getting all these fond gaming memories - the group getting their butts handed to them by the Ankylosaurus, or running in fear from the sleeping green dragon, or even a quick naval bombardment against the pirates. Some strange things happened while I was reading the book, though - I remember running the rope bridge encounter (where the group is attacked on a rope bridge by Pteradons), but I Don't remember running ANY of the encounters in the central village except for the fight against the rogue natives in the temple. I certainly don't remember the Kopru encounter at the end of the book, AT ALL.
Which is funny, because reading the encounter now, it seems like one of the coolest encounters in the game. Two Koprus, hiding in mud geysers, control and dominate the characters without being seen. It's such a strong image in my head. I'm not sure why I didn't run the adventure - probably because the hallway leading to the second floor was blocked off, and my Players would've said "Hey, this hallway's blocked, I guess we're done the adventure"
In fact, after reading the book, I have to say - it doesn't seem like it's all that well designed. There's no central goal to the module, which is kind of cool but sucks at the same time (I do like how the book gives further adventure ideas to make an isle of dread mini campaign). The climactic encounter is pretty hard to get to, since it assumes the group is going to be smart enough to realize that a hallway blocked with stone is still passable (and that they'd decide to do it, after completing the main goal of the temple raid - to kill the headhunters).
All that said, I keep building up this "Return to the Isle of Dread" Campaign, but one based in a 1660's, "Pirates of the Caribbean" campaign. You know, cannons, muskets, and the like. I've been writing this campaign forever, and it's all because I remember the Isle so fondly, and would love to return to it in one way or another.
Anyone else have fond memories of this little gem?
Not only that, but it was my first real campaign.
*Don't read any more if you haven't played the adventure and intend on doing so... someday*
Of course, we ran it heavily modified. We were using the 2e AD&D ruleset, mixed in with 1e and a bit of OD&D, with me converting monsters on the fly. My favourite thing about this adventure the first time I ran it was the fact that you gave the PCs an incomplete map, and let them fill in the details. I remember that the group had poor dealings with the local natives in the southern villages, thanks to the zombies the villagers kept ("no way these are good guys, let's go!") and that the group wound up making their base of operations in the Phanaton village (due, I think, to the fact that I loved tree-dwelling small folk). I also threw in some Tasloi and Grippli encounters in the jungles, because I was crazy about those critters.
Looking over it now, I keep getting all these fond gaming memories - the group getting their butts handed to them by the Ankylosaurus, or running in fear from the sleeping green dragon, or even a quick naval bombardment against the pirates. Some strange things happened while I was reading the book, though - I remember running the rope bridge encounter (where the group is attacked on a rope bridge by Pteradons), but I Don't remember running ANY of the encounters in the central village except for the fight against the rogue natives in the temple. I certainly don't remember the Kopru encounter at the end of the book, AT ALL.
Which is funny, because reading the encounter now, it seems like one of the coolest encounters in the game. Two Koprus, hiding in mud geysers, control and dominate the characters without being seen. It's such a strong image in my head. I'm not sure why I didn't run the adventure - probably because the hallway leading to the second floor was blocked off, and my Players would've said "Hey, this hallway's blocked, I guess we're done the adventure"
In fact, after reading the book, I have to say - it doesn't seem like it's all that well designed. There's no central goal to the module, which is kind of cool but sucks at the same time (I do like how the book gives further adventure ideas to make an isle of dread mini campaign). The climactic encounter is pretty hard to get to, since it assumes the group is going to be smart enough to realize that a hallway blocked with stone is still passable (and that they'd decide to do it, after completing the main goal of the temple raid - to kill the headhunters).
All that said, I keep building up this "Return to the Isle of Dread" Campaign, but one based in a 1660's, "Pirates of the Caribbean" campaign. You know, cannons, muskets, and the like. I've been writing this campaign forever, and it's all because I remember the Isle so fondly, and would love to return to it in one way or another.
Anyone else have fond memories of this little gem?
