New modules with 1E feel??

[Altalazar]

Hey, who has tried those new "1st Edition feel" modules - there are like four of them, I saw them on ENWorld store. I can't recall the exact name, but hopefully you know what I'm talking about. They are designed to even look like the old modules in cover design, with the blue maps on the inside covers. So has anyone tried them? As player or DM? Do they really capture that old feel? How are they?

 

[johnsemlak]

You're probably refering to the mods put out by Goodman Games from the 'Dungeon Crawl Classics'.

I have one of them, the first one--Idylls of the Rat King-- and started a PbP campaing that started OK but the game fizzled out. I liked the module well enough but the dungeon was a little uninteresting at times.

The second one is by Michael Mearls and I'd really like to get it. Also, for some of them, they got Erol Otis to do the covers. Mmmmm.

Of course, for the 'original' 'first edition' fell, try Necromancer Games. They also produce mods reminicent of the old classics, with modern style covers but witht the 1e style Module Code (D1, G1, etc) on the upper left corner. Their module 'Vault of Larin Karr' had other 1e throwbacks, such as Primary, Secondary, and Teriary tunnels through the underdark.

 

[Crothian]

Necromancer has some really good, fun modules. They are first edition feel as far as I'm concerned.

The Goodman Games ones I've seen were okay, but a little more dungion crawl, little less story then I like.

 

[d20Dwarf]

Necromancer has some really good, fun modules. They are first edition feel as far as I'm concerned.

The Goodman Games ones I've seen were okay, but a little more dungion crawl, little less story then I like.

I know it's been asked before, but what exactly is 1st edition feel? I didn't get a 1st edition vibe from any of the NG modules I read.

I personally think 1st edition feel is what we felt when we were playing 1st edition, which can never be replicated.

 

[johnsemlak]

Well, like I said in my post, NG definitely has several features in their artwork and cartography that are reminicent of 1e products, some more than others.

The Vault of Larin Karr is definite example. The homage paid to the 1e D1-3 series in the maps in that module is unmistakable.

Now, do NGs modules make you feel like you did when you played 1e? Much more intangible question.

 

[Crothian]

I know it's been asked before, but what exactly is 1st edition feel? I didn't get a 1st edition vibe from any of the NG modules I read.

I personally think 1st edition feel is what we felt when we were playing 1st edition, which can never be replicated.

John has a pretty gooed describtion above. I'll go on and say that their modules remind me of the first edition ones I have. I doubt I'll ever feel the same as when I awas playing first since one plays a little different when they are ten; but when I run those first edtition modules now they are similiar to the Necromancer ones in theme, look, and description. They can also be very deadly, which is a stable of first edition.

 

[Mark]

I know it's been asked before, but what exactly is 1st edition feel? I didn't get a 1st edition vibe from any of the NG modules I read.

I personally think 1st edition feel is what we felt when we were playing 1st edition, which can never be replicated.

It means so many thing to so many different people I'm not sure it can be defined. It's more likely that such an appeal is most easily emulated by those who never played that edition and who, ten years from now, will neither be able to recapture it, nor define it accurately.

The feel?

 

[diaglo]

i don't want rehashed attempts at the classics. i want original stuff. with original ideas.

for me it is the style of writing(simple description/more open for DM interpretation) and artwork(the picture books in the ToH and the early C modules, etc...each picture told a story).

i think Ed Cha does a good homage. even tho, his work is clearly 2000ed.

 

[rogueattorney]

I think, when people are talking about 1e feel, they are talking about modules that evoke a fairly specific group of modules from the late 70's and early 80's, the list most likely containing the following:

A1,2,3,4 - Slavers series
B1 - In Search of the Unknown
B2 - Keep on the Borderland
B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess
B4 - Lost City
C1 - Hidden Shrine of Tomoachan
C2 - Ghost Tower of Inverness
D1-2,3 - Drow Series
G1-2-3 - Against the Giants
I1 - Dwellers of the Forbidden City
L1 - Secret of Bone Hill
N1 - Cult of the Reptile God
Q1 - Queen of the Demonweb Pits
S1 - Tomb of Horror
S2 - White Plume Mountain
S3 - Expedition to Barrier Peaks
S4/WG4 - Tsojcanth/Tharizdun combo
T1 - Village of Hommlet
X1 - Isle of Dread
X2 - Castle Amber

Superficially, these all have the same artistic deisign, format, and layout - i.e. brightly colored painted picture on front and back, slash on the upper left front, number-letter code, gatefold cover with mono-colored (either b/w or blue/w) maps on the inside, sparse art on the inside which was always black and white ink prints. An absolutely excellent group of artists worked on these - Otus, Rosloff, Dee, DSL, Willingham, some of Easley's early work, etc.

Outside the superficial art/design commonalities, these modules had the following:
1. They were short, generally 32 pages, but had a ton stuffed into them. Usually 9 or 10 point font, with 1/2" or less margins. Not a whole bunch of space used on monsters or NPC stat-blocks.
2. They weren't campaign setting specific. Sure, they generally told you where they could be located in Greyhawk or the Known World, but they were generic enough to be plopped down anywhere in a DM's campaign setting. They didn't assume that you had additional campaign oriented material (mainly because they hadn't printed any additional campaign oriented material for half this stuff).
3. Low plot content. Very non-linear. They essentially gave the DM a micro-setting, and left it up to the DM and players to determine why the PC's were there and what they were going to do.
4. Highly expandable. The DM could use them fine as written as a couple session adventure, but had enough guidance to base an entire campaign off of them.

In the mid-80's TSR really changed their module concepts to a more linear story-telling style (yeah, I'm looking at you, Dragonlance!) and then nearly ground their module production to a complete halt in the early 90's in exchange for more setting detail and rules add-ons. I wonder whether, if TSR had stuck more closely to their original style, if the module market wouldn't have gone 'dead'.

I'm very intrigued by the stuff Necro, Goodman, Kenzer, Troll Lords, and Ed Cha are doing. I'm a picky buyer, but want to give this stuff a good look. I don't want to be roped in by the superficials - i.e. art and layout evocative of the old style - and want to find the stuff that will give me the same mileage that, say, Keep on the Borderladnds has over the last 20 years.

R.A.

 

[Davelozzi]

i don't want rehashed attempts at the classics. i want original stuff. with original ideas.

for me it is the style of writing(simple description/more open for DM interpretation) and artwork(the picture books in the ToH and the early C modules, etc...each picture told a story).

I'll agree with that sentiment, and I think that Necromancer gets the job done on that score. The maps and cover design is improved (thankfully) over the classics, but the stuff inside maintains a similar feel, even though the actual adventures are new. In particular, I'd cite Tomb of Abysthor as good example for fitting this description. I usually would have no interest in a nine level dungeon but this is a great module that really makes me want to run it. Other modules by Necromancer may be even better overall (The Grey Citadel, for example) but they don't quite have the same level of 1e feel.

As for "rehashed attempts at the classics", from what I've seen, the Hackmaster stuff fits that description more -- much like the some of the Silver Anniversary "Return To..." titles of the late 2e era. Not neccesarily bad if that's what you're into, but definately derivative with no bones about it.