Deuce Traveler
Adventurer
B1- In Search of the Unknown by Mike Carr
An original Dungeons and Dragons adventure for 3-6 characters of levels 1-3
Bullgrit and I decided upon doing a review on an older Dungeons and Dragons module since scans of such can be found for a low cost among such sites as ENWorld, DriveThruRPG (where I got my copy), RPGNow, and others. We chose B1- In Search of the Unknown, and I've created a format that will cover the quality of the scan and appearance of the artwork, organization and availability of information, connectivity of the plot with the elements inside, imagination, and a summary.
Aesthetics
When reviewing the artwork of the older Dungeons and Dragons books it is important to remember that the original artists did not have the training and tools of those that came in more recent years, so I'll be examining more of the feeling surrounding the art. That being said, I truly enjoyed the front cover art to In Search of the Unknown. There are three figures shown, a man and a woman in robes and an armored swordsman who appears to be carefully slicing the top of a large mushroom. They all look wary, unsure of the results that will come with this action. This image imparts the viewer with an important part of the dungeon crawl experience: experimenting with the mysterious and possibly dangerous in the hopes of great reward. I enjoyed the back of the cover even more however, since it shows a combat scene with the same trio fighting two lizard-like creatures, one of which is strangling the robed woman while shoving her against a rocky wall. As a dungeon master it encourages me to try to describe a fight scene with more imagery than simple weapons and claws being swung back and forth.
The artwork inside of the book was fine, but not as vivid as the cover art. Some pictures seemed to have been put in despite having little to do with the actual adventure or just not needed, such as the simple sketch of a dragon or a chest with shimmering coins billowing from its open lid. I found the artwork detailing some of the chambers and rooms in the module to have been beneficial in helping the DM visualize the dungeon, especially one with a party of adventurers passing through a chamber full of large mushrooms (even though the human fighter to the right looked like he belonged on the set of This is Spinal Tap). Also, I downloaded this module from DriveThruRPG and want to say that I felt it to be in solid and useable condition so it is safe to download it from that site with both the lettering and maps easily read (although the lettering on the back cover was a bit scuffed up because of the age of the original copy). I also believe that DriveThruRPG uses the same scans from WOTC as RPGNow and ENWorld.
Organization
Since this is a 36 page .pdf, it was not hard to quickly bounce from the start to the finish of the book searching for necessary information. Because it is an introductory module, it is meant to set-up a beginning group of players and a new DM and get them going. The first few pages review what had already been mentioned in the original Dungeons and Dragons Basic Sets, such as the importance of having a mapper, keeping track of experience points and time, and party order. I liked the fact that the module stressed that players could bring retainers, since I always liked the option of a mage or thief with some coin hiring on some less experienced soldiers or thugs for protection in case there are less than an optimal amount of players. My only real complaint when it comes to the organization is that the player information along with the ready-made list of PCs and/or retainers is in the back of the module instead of after the discussion on creating players and hiring retainers in the beginning. The monster table and other information for the DM is in the back and it would have been better to keep DM information separate from player information.
Connectivity
The background of the dungeon crawl is that two legendary adventurers named Rogahn the Fearless and Zeligar the Unknown once built a sort of headquarters far in the wilderness and away from prying eyes. One day the land of these two heroes was threatened by a horde of barbarians, and the duo lent their aid in turning back this threat. Afterwards they gathered up a group of mercenaries and disappeared forever into the barbarian lands to take the fight to the enemy. This happened long ago, and the location of Rogahn and Zeligar's hidden home and the treasure that may have been left behind has been lost... until the player characters happen to come across a crude map hinting at its location...
The DM is given a bit more information than the player, and from what is said about Rogahn and Zeligar there is enough mystery for the DM to make the missing pair a more interesting and rounded set of personalities or to leave them as simple background setting. There is a rumor table for investigative characters, which is one of those things I love about many of the older adventures. Some of these legends and rumors are true while others are false, but most are simplistic and didn't exactly leap off the page. A couple of my favorite are: "The place is protected by the gods themselves, and one member of any party of intruders is doomed to certain death.' and 'An enchanted stone within the stronghold will grant a wish to anyone who chips off a piece of it and places it within their mouth'.
There are no word boxes within the room descriptions indicating information for the DM to read off to the players, but instead the module forces even beginning DM's to paint the scene, which is something I like but may not be enjoyable for others. The rooms and caverns actually made quite a bit of sense; more so than they do in many older modules. The rooms of the former inhabitants show some depth and personality to the missing 'heroes' from long ago while the chambers that were never finished are more cave-like but are explained away by the inability of the legendary 'heroes' to complete construction. The only serious issue I had were several wandering monsters that I felt should not have been included without a stronger rationalization such as the occasional undead, but the module has the DM place the standing monsters where he desires them to be in the dungeon and so he has the option to leave something out (which a DM worth his salt should feel free to do anyway).
Imagination
There are several imaginative moments in the design of this module, including the background itself. The original builders of the dungeon may not still be around, but they still have a presence that the characters are reminded of throughout the entire adventure. This is a nice touch, since it can leave the players with a sense of awe or mystery if presented correctly. Also, several of the rooms are set-up to create a certain mood and the set of alcoves at the entrance of the dungeon does well to deliver the feeling of fragile mortality. If I was the DM I would purposely leave this room empty of treasure and monsters in order to give the characters a chance to look around and wonder what they were about to get themselves into.
The traps and riddles are somewhat straightforward and what experienced players would recognize and should be able to solve. However, keep in mind that this module is for beginning players and is to help them use their brain in discovering solutions before they move on to other more difficult traps and problems in future adventures. That isn't to say that *all* the challenges are droll since there were a few that had a certain coolness factor, such as a neat one dealing with teleporters and another with some pools of strange liquids that you know someone will do something regretable with.
Overall
I am going to give B1- In Search of the Unknown 4 out of 5 stars, since it is a solid module that does what it sets out to do: give a beginning DM a chance to referee a game with a minimum amount of work while testing new players with challenging (although not extremely deadly) encounters, riddles, and traps. Although it is meant for beginners, this would also be a fun adventure and somewhat short module for more experienced players.
An original Dungeons and Dragons adventure for 3-6 characters of levels 1-3
Bullgrit and I decided upon doing a review on an older Dungeons and Dragons module since scans of such can be found for a low cost among such sites as ENWorld, DriveThruRPG (where I got my copy), RPGNow, and others. We chose B1- In Search of the Unknown, and I've created a format that will cover the quality of the scan and appearance of the artwork, organization and availability of information, connectivity of the plot with the elements inside, imagination, and a summary.
Aesthetics
When reviewing the artwork of the older Dungeons and Dragons books it is important to remember that the original artists did not have the training and tools of those that came in more recent years, so I'll be examining more of the feeling surrounding the art. That being said, I truly enjoyed the front cover art to In Search of the Unknown. There are three figures shown, a man and a woman in robes and an armored swordsman who appears to be carefully slicing the top of a large mushroom. They all look wary, unsure of the results that will come with this action. This image imparts the viewer with an important part of the dungeon crawl experience: experimenting with the mysterious and possibly dangerous in the hopes of great reward. I enjoyed the back of the cover even more however, since it shows a combat scene with the same trio fighting two lizard-like creatures, one of which is strangling the robed woman while shoving her against a rocky wall. As a dungeon master it encourages me to try to describe a fight scene with more imagery than simple weapons and claws being swung back and forth.
The artwork inside of the book was fine, but not as vivid as the cover art. Some pictures seemed to have been put in despite having little to do with the actual adventure or just not needed, such as the simple sketch of a dragon or a chest with shimmering coins billowing from its open lid. I found the artwork detailing some of the chambers and rooms in the module to have been beneficial in helping the DM visualize the dungeon, especially one with a party of adventurers passing through a chamber full of large mushrooms (even though the human fighter to the right looked like he belonged on the set of This is Spinal Tap). Also, I downloaded this module from DriveThruRPG and want to say that I felt it to be in solid and useable condition so it is safe to download it from that site with both the lettering and maps easily read (although the lettering on the back cover was a bit scuffed up because of the age of the original copy). I also believe that DriveThruRPG uses the same scans from WOTC as RPGNow and ENWorld.
Organization
Since this is a 36 page .pdf, it was not hard to quickly bounce from the start to the finish of the book searching for necessary information. Because it is an introductory module, it is meant to set-up a beginning group of players and a new DM and get them going. The first few pages review what had already been mentioned in the original Dungeons and Dragons Basic Sets, such as the importance of having a mapper, keeping track of experience points and time, and party order. I liked the fact that the module stressed that players could bring retainers, since I always liked the option of a mage or thief with some coin hiring on some less experienced soldiers or thugs for protection in case there are less than an optimal amount of players. My only real complaint when it comes to the organization is that the player information along with the ready-made list of PCs and/or retainers is in the back of the module instead of after the discussion on creating players and hiring retainers in the beginning. The monster table and other information for the DM is in the back and it would have been better to keep DM information separate from player information.
Connectivity
The background of the dungeon crawl is that two legendary adventurers named Rogahn the Fearless and Zeligar the Unknown once built a sort of headquarters far in the wilderness and away from prying eyes. One day the land of these two heroes was threatened by a horde of barbarians, and the duo lent their aid in turning back this threat. Afterwards they gathered up a group of mercenaries and disappeared forever into the barbarian lands to take the fight to the enemy. This happened long ago, and the location of Rogahn and Zeligar's hidden home and the treasure that may have been left behind has been lost... until the player characters happen to come across a crude map hinting at its location...
The DM is given a bit more information than the player, and from what is said about Rogahn and Zeligar there is enough mystery for the DM to make the missing pair a more interesting and rounded set of personalities or to leave them as simple background setting. There is a rumor table for investigative characters, which is one of those things I love about many of the older adventures. Some of these legends and rumors are true while others are false, but most are simplistic and didn't exactly leap off the page. A couple of my favorite are: "The place is protected by the gods themselves, and one member of any party of intruders is doomed to certain death.' and 'An enchanted stone within the stronghold will grant a wish to anyone who chips off a piece of it and places it within their mouth'.
There are no word boxes within the room descriptions indicating information for the DM to read off to the players, but instead the module forces even beginning DM's to paint the scene, which is something I like but may not be enjoyable for others. The rooms and caverns actually made quite a bit of sense; more so than they do in many older modules. The rooms of the former inhabitants show some depth and personality to the missing 'heroes' from long ago while the chambers that were never finished are more cave-like but are explained away by the inability of the legendary 'heroes' to complete construction. The only serious issue I had were several wandering monsters that I felt should not have been included without a stronger rationalization such as the occasional undead, but the module has the DM place the standing monsters where he desires them to be in the dungeon and so he has the option to leave something out (which a DM worth his salt should feel free to do anyway).
Imagination
There are several imaginative moments in the design of this module, including the background itself. The original builders of the dungeon may not still be around, but they still have a presence that the characters are reminded of throughout the entire adventure. This is a nice touch, since it can leave the players with a sense of awe or mystery if presented correctly. Also, several of the rooms are set-up to create a certain mood and the set of alcoves at the entrance of the dungeon does well to deliver the feeling of fragile mortality. If I was the DM I would purposely leave this room empty of treasure and monsters in order to give the characters a chance to look around and wonder what they were about to get themselves into.
The traps and riddles are somewhat straightforward and what experienced players would recognize and should be able to solve. However, keep in mind that this module is for beginning players and is to help them use their brain in discovering solutions before they move on to other more difficult traps and problems in future adventures. That isn't to say that *all* the challenges are droll since there were a few that had a certain coolness factor, such as a neat one dealing with teleporters and another with some pools of strange liquids that you know someone will do something regretable with.
Overall
I am going to give B1- In Search of the Unknown 4 out of 5 stars, since it is a solid module that does what it sets out to do: give a beginning DM a chance to referee a game with a minimum amount of work while testing new players with challenging (although not extremely deadly) encounters, riddles, and traps. Although it is meant for beginners, this would also be a fun adventure and somewhat short module for more experienced players.
