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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 7693194" data-attributes="member: 3192">S1 is one of the greatest game modules of all time. It does however contain many flaws. A good DM can fix these and balance the module to fit capably within a well designed system. But I think most present day DMs don't even understand the basics of the actual original D&D game to begin to do so.The flaws with the module are excused, I think, because this is the first adventure module of its kind ever. And it is exceptionally good in many respects that it didn't have to be. The wargaming sensibility of a 6-armed gargoyle more powerful than the PCs, but trapped in its room due to size. Hidden pit traps and multiple directions used over and over again and not boringly or with repetition (one secret passage is even hidden in a pit). Look at the pearl string of rooms themselves. There are more interesting pieces here than in S2 and every bit as challenging. One of Gygax's flaws was he had a tendency to release the very highest level modules at beginning of a game's publication. Which makes it very hard to use such designs early on as all players are still new to the system and not adept to even judge the quality of such a high level, difficult, and complex design. Expectations of what the players can do because of intimate familiarity of a game's design is essential to crafting any high level game module. And even when completed it still must be developed / playtested by high end players proficient with that particular game. "Break this please"I think the module would have been better served publishing it later after a few years of players getting PCs up to those levels and knowledgeable about the game. But I wasn't around at that time, so I don't know. Perhaps the potency of the wargaming community's hard won design philosophies could have been enough to justify early publication? I know there's plenty of solidly balanced game design in ToH that most people I know just flat out miss.</blockquote>

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