Oldies but Goodies?

[fletch137]

I've really come to appreciate the .pdf format of the books available at RPGNow, being especially drawn to the cheap price tag connected to the old TSR stuff. I'm looking for any opinions about what some of the older gamers (you know who you are) think about the 2nd or even 1st edition AD&D stuff. What were some of the best adventures or grand campaigns available now on .pdf? If anybody knows of any good sites with reviews of older products, I'd appreciate that too.

 

[Trainz]

Available in PDF at RPGnow: Forgotten Realms Adventures. It was a hard cover book in which was an s-load of the FR town and cities maps and very detailed descriptions of them (over 20 IIRC). The 3rd ed version of FR doesn't have alot of maps, so it is a great acquisition for any Forgotten Realms campaign.

 

[the Jester]

If you're interested in old modules, I recommend the GDQ series, S1-S4, and most of all, Return to the Tomb of Horrors.

Especially in 3ed, you really truly need epic characters to go through this one. I ran my hapless group through it, and it was great. (It's in the Felenga story hour linked in my sig.)

If you're after campaign setting stuff, I recommend the old skool 1e World of Greyhawk Gazeteer. Also Planescape- I now regret never having gotten into PS.

If you're after great sourcebooks, I highly recommend the Necromancer's Handbook, Druid's HB, and Ranger's HB- whatever the heck those old brown (blue for the NH) books were called. Most of 'em sucked, but those ones were cool.

All a matter of taste; YMMV.

 

[Ourph]

B2 - Keep on the Borderlands (of course!)
N1 - Against the Cult of the Reptile God
X1 - Isle of Dread
A1 - Slave Pits of the Undercity
1st ed DMG (a valuable resource no matter which edition you play)

 

[VirgilCaine]

1st ed DMG (a valuable resource no matter which edition you play)

Ditto this. Looking back on what was was interesting, and there are a lot of useful tables and charts, from the useful (Movement Rates for land and sea vehicles and people) to the obscure ("Parasitic Infestation Tables! Just what I always wanted!"); and useful information on adventuring in various media (on land, on and under water, in the air and across the planes).

 

[Crothian]

Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue

This is one of the best general products I've ever seen. Its a catalogue of all sorts of great mnon magical items.

 

[Caspiar]

B4- The Lost City

It is my all time favorite...... and for my money the best module ever...
there is even a 3E conversion on this site.....

A Hidden Pyramid, 10 levels, an underground city....

it spawned a whole campaign, back in the day when we just randomly moved from one adventure to another.

 

[Henry]

I'm looking for any opinions about what some of the older gamers (you know who you are) think about the 2nd or even 1st edition AD&D stuff.

You're asking this question of a fan of the 1st edition classic adventures, so you may receive a biased answer when I tell you ANYTHING MADE BEFORE 1985 is worth downloading.

Also, if you plan on running an in-depth Forgotten Realms campaign, there's nothign like it for those old boxed sets like The North, or (my favorite) Myth Drannor. If anyone plans to run a Myth Drannor Adventure or two fopr their group, you won't find a more detailed source than Ruins of Myth Drannor.

Past that, gems such as G1-G2-G3 (Against the Giants) and D1-2-3 (the Descent into the Depths/Drow series) made for some epic campaigning, and still for me set the standard for a generic, re-useable, series of adventures. It was the Sunless Citadel / Forge of Fury of its day. Sometimes, a person needs an adventure with a strong plot and clever ideas, but as skeletal as possible in design, and these kinds of adventures fit the bill.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Let me recommend a great Egyptian/Arabian-themed adventure: I3-5 Desert of Desolation. In fact, all of the supermodules are worth it (GDQ1-7, A1-4, S1-4) since you get anywhere from 3-7 modules in one package, with some added material to link them.

Some of my favorites have already been listed above.

For more help ... casts silent, stilled Summon diaglo!

 

[diaglo]

the saltmarsh series, the forest oracle, the sentinel, the gauntlet, village of hommlet,... they are all available as pdfs.

you can't go wrong with any of the older modules.