TSR Example from the worst TSR adventure module(s) ever published

[Xyanthon]

OK. I just looked on ebay to see if any copies of The Forest Oracle were cheap. One auction, ending in 20 hours or so, has numerous goofs in the listing. Is the seller being funny?

And I Quote:
Your are bidding on a vintage Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Modules N2 The Forest Oracle by Carl Smith, 1984. (TSR-9084). For 6-8 characters levels 2-4.

The Land lies under a curse. Fruit drops to the ground, its pulp black and rotten. Leaves curl and wither in the branches. Animals flee the parched vale or starve.

Log ago, the Downs prospered under the care of Druids. But the priests of nature have retreated deep into the woods and rarely show themselves. One old man claims that the Druids have the power to save the valley, if only someone could find their Oracle to seek help. Will you reach the Foret Oracle of the Druids in time? And if you do, can they really lift the curse? Or does the answer lie elswhere?

This module has long been out of print and would make an excellent addition to any gaming collection.

I have others listed including G1-2-3, D3 and Q1 together, either check my listings or email me.

Shipping is $4.50 in US and $12 Worldwide.

The text is actually from the back of the module but I'm not looking at my copy (I was reading through it last night) to be able to say if the typos are from the ebay seller or not (I'm pretty sure they are). Does anyone know if Mr. Smith has written any other RPG Material? I'll have to do some digging on this one. Perhaps the folks at the Acaeum or Dragonsfoot knows...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Psht, I ran it years ago. Great module, very fun!

Oh sure, it's got plenty of silly parts, but I still think it's better than half the early crop of 3e adventures by far. (emphasis added)

Oh? And which modules would those be?

This comment was overlooked the first time around, I guess. If there are other modules out there of this level of, um, "quality," I want to know about them. I can always use a good laugh.

 

[Thurbane]

Apart from the whole bandit encounter and it's bizarre descriptive text, my favourite bit is the ex-thief halfling, who rents out his serect door riddled hotel to wererats, and is then genuinely surprised at nefarious goings on in his fine establishment...

 

[On Puget Sound]

I e-mailed Carl Smith about this module, as to whether he felt it came out exactly as he envisioned it or not.
Here is his reply:

"Thanks for the kind remarcs. I know it has bin hard to see the fight for the trees, but the kingdom will have no end. That said, we wer all happe at the response in trade magazines at the time of the module's release. "Astounding!", and "Bewilderingly"-something-or-other were common reacsons. You know, to be onest, in a feather bouncing sort of way, this was really the diving board that broke me into big busines with games like "Tarragon" and the short Adventure Quest module "Blankets for Baalzebub".
Anyway, its been a stong, fun ride, and I hope for the children that we all have many more. Cheers and fun role-gaming!
-Carl"

he went on to describe his later career as a speechwriter. He was particularly proud of some gems that have lived on in memory: "I know how hard it is to put food on your family", "rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?", and the classic "Our enemies never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

 

[JeffB]

Thread Necromancy

I love this thread

 

[TerraDave]

Now this was a good thread to bring back from the dead...deffinately one for the archives

And reading through it 18 months later, I thought exactly the same thing. (which is sort of disturbing, but it really should be archived).


And whatever did happen to Quasqueton?

 

[Hussar]

He's been reskinned as Bullgrit.

 

[ExploderWizard]

LMAO @ This!! I remember this thread (posting as Kormydigar back then). Oh, good times. I'm surprised (I rolled a 3) that nobody mentions the encounter where the party is captured by orcs-who then send them OUTSIDE with AXES to work.
This is grade A comedy gold. I will have to dig out my copy and give it another look through.

 

[renau1g]

I have a solution: Let's write our own encounters!

14. The Winter Wolf. As the party enters the clearing, they see a pile of apples. Read the description below:



The apples have no secret compartments. As the party approaches the apples, they hear a howl. A local winter wolf (AC 5; MV 18"; HD 5+1; hp 27 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 [bite]; SA Surprise on 1-4, cold breath; SD immune to cold) has been collecting all the apples in the forest in order to lure prey to the clearing. If anyone takes an apple or gets too close or avoids the apples, the wolf leaps out of the pile and attacks. Roll 1d6 to determine surprise: 1-2: the party is surprised, 3-3, nobody is surprised, 3-5 the party is surprised, 6 the apples are surprised. The wolf once drank a potion of sleep, but is awake now because it is not near a pavilion. It will attempt to use its cold breath on anyone near the apples, or anyone not near the apples. After two rounds of combat wererats (AC 6; MV 12"; HD 3+1; hp 16 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 [sword]; SA Surprise on 1-4; SD Hit only by silver or +1 or better magic weapons) will leap out of the secret door. Roll 1d6 for the sleep spells target.

After the party kills the wolf, they can take the apples and the golden statue of the dragon as well.

All I have to say is You Bastard! I read this at work and started laughing so hard that I couldn't cover it up and my colleagues started to look at me in bewilderment....

but it was damn funny!

 

[Obryn]

Thanks!

I missed this the first and second times around.

-O