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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 2276124" data-attributes="member: 4937">Well, you are slightly exaggerating the problem.First, we can mostly exclude the keep because it can be assumed in general that the PC's will not launch an attack on the keep and the couple of exceptions could probably lead to a TPK played by a ruthless DM.Second, we can exclude from the list items which are cursed, since these are intended as obstacles and not intended to be loot.  Remember, 1st edition wouldn't have let items be conveinently turned into gold, and certainly not in large quanities.Third, we can exclude anything from the list which a good aligned party probably would not benefit from.  That shortens the list to the following:Durable Items-------------hand axe +1 (x2)spear +1sword +2shield +1 (x3)plate mail +1 (x2)dagger +1 (reward for saving the merchant's wife, assuming they did)elven bootssnake staffstaff of healingrope of climbingExpendable Items-----------------potion of healing (x4)scroll of fireballarrow +1 (x6)potion of invisibilityscroll of cure light wounds, hold personwand of paralyzation (7 charges)scroll of protection from undead (x2)potion of gaseous form (x2)potion of growthscroll of detect magic, hold person, silence 15' radiuswand of enemy detection (9 charges)potion of stone to flesh (x6)Summarizing, the absolute most that a party could get out of the module if they looted everywhere that they were expected to loot was:5 magic weapons (you missed one)2 magic suits of armor3 magic shields2 staffs2 misc. magic devices2 wands8 scrolls (counting each spell as a separate scroll)14 potionsIIRC, a party that really throughly went through the module could expect to get to be 4th level at the end of it.  I believe that the groups I had started out with 8 characters and ended up with 4-5.  So let's say that after 50% losses, we've got 4 well equipped 4th level characters who found everything and didn't use any of the expendable items along the way.  What would that mean?The Fighter (4th Level)-----------Plate Mail +1Shield +1 Spear +1Sword +23 PotionsThe Thief (4th level)-------------------Dagger +1Elven BootsRope of Climbing6 Arrows +14 Potions4 ScrollsThe Cleric (4th level)--------------------Shield +1Snake StaffStaff of Healing2 Wands3 Potions4 ScrollsThe Dwarf (4th level)--------------------Plate Mail +1Shield +1Hand Axe +1 (x2)4 PotionsRemember, that's if the party found everything and only had to share the treasure among 4 characters and never used any of the treasure they found.  In practice, much of the treasure would be so well hidden that it would be missed.  In particular, one of the shields always struck me as being particularly hard to find.  The rope isn't much better, and neither party I've run got the wand of enemy detection.  And six surviving characters would have to spread the treasure more thinly.So, how do the above characters look?  With the exception of a few powerful items (the sword +2, the staff of healing), I seriously doubt the above party is that much better equipped that average parties of 4th level that started from 1st level in 3rd edition campaigns.  In practice, I doubt anyone got out with that much loot unless the DM helped the PC's get it or they'd sneaked a peek at the module.  Also remember that 4th level is effectively slightly higher in 1st edition than it is in 3rd because it takes alot more encounters to get there and you are relatively more powerful compared to monsters when you do. A 4th level 1st edition party has probably fought more stuff than a 6th level 3rd edition party.</blockquote>

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