TSR Tell me about I7 - Baltron's Beacon

[el-remmen]

So if you know anything about me and my DMing style, I am a big fan of older modules (mostly 1E AD&D and BECMI stuff) and have used them a lot in every edition. However, one module I somehow missed back in the day and didn't even know existed until a couple of years ago is I7 - Baltron's Beacon (I keep wanting to call it "Batroc's Beacon).

Who here has run it? Played through it? What can you tell me about it? What has it got going for it? Anyone update it to 5E or other edition? Is it worth adding to my collection of old modules?

 

[Nikosandros]

I'll follow this thread. I bought the module back then, but I've never actually ran it. I must admit that my memories of it are rather dim. I'll give it a read.

 

[Thauramarth]

It's a straightforward dungeon in a swamp; the hook is as classic as it gets: sage asks PCs to get a MacGuffin from the glowing ruin in the swamp. It's a decent, mid-level dungeon, without a plot. (It does sit in a weird place in the I-series, between I6 - Ravenloft and I8 - Ravager of Time, both of which are quite plot-heavy).

 

[Schmoe]

I own it, but never ran it. This is the one where you can go to the moon, right? My recollection is that the moon part was one of the potentially more interesting bits, but also the least fleshed out. I think the bulk of the adventure is around navigating a maze with some tricks/traps. It never really captured my imagination, and I think it would need the right campaign tie-ins to really be compelling.

 

[el-remmen]

The moon? The moon!

This is news to me but I like it. My old homebrew’s moon’s craters were caused by a colony of purple worms that live inside it. I may need to yoink that from myself if I ever run this.

 

[Thauramarth]

I own it, but never ran it. This is the one where you can go to the moon, right? My recollection is that the moon part was one of the potentially more interesting bits, but also the least fleshed out. I think the bulk of the adventure is around navigating a maze with some tricks/traps. It never really captured my imagination, and I think it would need the right campaign tie-ins to really be compelling.

The moon? The moon!

This is news to me but I like it. My old homebrew’s moon’s craters were caused by a colony of purple worms that live inside it. I may need to yoink that from myself if I ever run this.

I don't think this is the one with the moon. The one with the visit to the moon is I11 - Needle, I think.

 

[Nikosandros]

I don't think this is the one with the moon. The one with the visit to the moon is I11 - Needle, I think.

Yes, in Needle the PC are sent to the an underground complex under the surface of the moon.

 

[Mannahnin]

Yes, in Needle the PC are sent to the an underground complex under the surface of the moon.

I played that one with Frank Mentzer running it at a convention some years back. Though most of what I remember is working our way through the maze.

 

[el-remmen]

I guess I need to add both to my list.

 

[Lanefan]

I've run Baltron's Beacon, using a homebrew plot-line to get them in there. IMO it's one of those modules that on first read doesn't look like much, but plays better than it reads. I'd run it again if the chance arose.

Brace your players for the nasty, however; there's a couple of rather unpleasant surprises in there.

As for Needle, that's one of the few that I don't own and have never read; and it's getting up there in price.