It's Time To Pre-Order Your Copy Of Into The Borderlands

Goodman Games announced some months ago that it would be producing 5th Edition updates of classic D&D adventures, and the first is now ready for pre-order: Into the Borderlands, a 384-page hardcover reprinting two classic adventures and also updating them to D&D 5E. The book slated for a May release.

Goodman Games announced some months ago that it would be producing 5th Edition updates of classic D&D adventures, and the first is now ready for pre-order: Into the Borderlands, a 384-page hardcover reprinting two classic adventures and also updating them to D&D 5E. The book slated for a May release.

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Original Adventures Reincarnated: Into the Borderlands is now available for pre-order! This 384-page hardcover reprints the classic Dungeons and Dragons modules B1: In Search of the Unknown and B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, in both their original format and updated for Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons. And there is even a full-color 16-page cover gallery insert!

The expected release date for Into the Borderlands is May, but we are hoping (cross your fingers!) to have some early-release copies available at Gary Con in March!

Inside this book you will find high-quality scans from multiple printings of the original first edition adventure modules, plus commentary by such gaming luminaries as Luke Gygax and Mike Mearls. Full fifth edition conversions of both adventures are included, as well as brand new additional adventure locations to further expand and develop the Borderlands. This is a fully playable mini-campaign to start off your new fifth edition adventures, with a distinct old-school vibe.


The originals were 16 pages each (edit - correction; B1 was 32 pages and B2 was 28 pages). This 284-page hardcover includes TWO reprinting of each of the two original modules plus the 5E conversions, which take up more space. The two reprinting include differences like different stat block formats, and different interior art. Goodman Games says "We don’t believe this is repeating the same thing, and these reprints are particularly interesting if you are a student of gaming history."


B1B2-TOC.jpg


The conversion to 5E is a "direct conversion", remaining consistent with the 1E originals; so there will be the same number of monsters in each location, and so on. "It’s up to the DM to mitigate this, or the PCs to use wise tactics (some described by Mr. Gygax himself, decades ago), or to use the age-old practice of “run away to fight another day.” The original B2 was itself not balanced in regard to encounters. There was nothing (aside from a few vague rumors) to prevent a party of 1st-level PCs from wandering into the upper caves, and facing down dozens of undead in one room (for example)."





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darjr

I crit!
I wonder if they went with the same old school sandbox philosophy stoking B1 as they did porting over B2, I hope so. I want more things like TOA and SKT sandbox sections.
 

guachi

Hero
Seems like massive overkill. I don't need two reprints of modules I already own (well, B2 I own). B1 isn't really that good, though I suppose a stocked version is okay to have.

Converting to 5e isn't particularly hard, especially if you aren't going to take the time to balance the encounter at all. You could include about 5 pages of converted short hand monster stats and be done with it. That's about it. My longest conversion was B10 and that was 18 pages with stats for every monster encounter plus treasure for a dense 64-page module.
 

guachi

Hero
It's a collectors piece, plain and simple.

This isn't a collector's piece, though. What is a collector's piece is the actual module B2 Keep on the Borderlands. And there are LOT of copies of this module. It's not very hard to find. I got my copy for $7.50 shipped in late 2014. If you have enough money to buy this, you have enough money to buy the actual module.
 

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero
This fits with what Goodman Games has done in the past, with oversized Judges Guild reprints. Those are, to put it mildly, only of real interest to gamers of a certain age and, even then, hardcore collectors or historians. I don't have fond enough memories of Judges Guild material, other than Dark Tower, to shell out for those, but this is right up my alley, as I started playing in 1979.

I'm more excited by the notion that this is the first of an intended series. I'd love to see the Giant and Drow series big beautiful archival editions with essays, historical notes, conversions, etc. Ditto the Slavers series, Saltmarsh series, Specials and even Dungeonland/The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror.

EDIT: Ravenloft and Planescape also seem like they'd merit this sort of historical treatment, since both remain popular, influential and controversial.
 


People like me. It is a pure nostalgia buy. As a young teen, I ran several groups of friends through B2 in 1980 and 1981 (many of them are still gaming today!). Just seeing the cover of that module evokes a rush of fond memories.
I can appreciate that!

For me, I'm really just not sure that this shouldn't have been two products: a collectible reprint and retrospective m of the original(s), and then a separate book with the conversion and new material. It seems like most of the complaints here are that we can't buy one section without the other, when they really don't serve the same audience in most cases.

Also, side note: Wasn't Keep on the Borderlands a Basic module, not 1E? Even Goodman Games' FAQ keeps calling it a 1E module.
 

AriochQ

Adventurer
It came in the basic set but was advertised as usable for AD&D. In the early years, I bought every module and just converted them to AD&D if required. The rules were not as set in stone, so conversion was pretty simple.
 


darjr

I crit!
I want them to do Pharoh/Desert of Desolation series.

The other thing I’d like them to try and tackle are those rare early convention adventures that never made it to full publication.
 

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