Tell me about these older edition D&D products [list updated: Nov 20/10]

[Knightfall]

2000 (WotC)
The Vortex of Madness and Other Planar Perils

Yet another planar adventure I've integrated into my online Planescape campaign! While it has some rough spots, the overall adventure is entertaining. It centers around the artifact called "The Machine of Lum the Mad" and its antithesis, "The Mighty Armor of Leuk-O." The heroes stumble upon the Machine while traveling through the Astral Plane and get sucked into its influence. The Machine has been trapped with Lum as its only companion for untold ages, and it wants back on the Material Plane. The Machine sends the heroes on missions to obtain parts to repair it, as well as answer basic questions for it about life, sentience, and the meaning of existence. I have the Machine lying in wait whenever the heroes in my game visit the Astral Plane...

Interesting... the more I read about this book... the more I think I'll like it.

 

[Knightfall]

NOTE
I decided to run down to Whyte Knight with a written list of products from this thread and my "To Get" list on my collection thread (see sig). It was a scouting trip only. I won't be trading/buying there until tomorrow but I wanted to get a better feel for what is in the store at this moment and what some of the best stuff costs.

Therefore, I've updated my Master List with prices gathered at WK today. I added a lot of prices and a few more items of note that WK has in stock. I'm going to be updating my collection thread next.

__________________________________________​

For My Reference

Other Notable FR Stuff at WK that isn't on my "To Get" list... yet): Menzoberranzan [boxed set] -> $85 (yikes!); Spellbound [boxed set] -> $40; Ninja Wars -> $20; Swords of the Iron Legion [I14] -> $10 (cool!); The Horde [boxed set] -> $30 (maybe); Ruins of Myth Drannor -> $55 (or $35 without monster comp.).

Plus...

Old School Modules: C4 To Find a King -> $10; C5 The Bane of Llywelyn -> $10; CM5 Mystery of the Snow Pearls -> $20; CM9 Legacy of Blood -> $5; DDA2 Legions of Thyatis -> $35; I4 Oasis of the White Palm -> $8; I8 Ravager of Time -> $20; IM2 The Wrath of Olympus -> $14; MV1 Midnight on Dagger Alley -> $16; S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks -> $10; U2 Danger at Dunwater -> $8; X7 The War Rafts of Kron -> $20 (ding, ding!); X9 The Savage Coast -> $35 (cool!).

 

[VectorSigma]

I'd recommend 'City System' if it's a decent price. It's tagged as a Realms product, but in reality it's a) general city-building advice and tips on running urban adventures, b) a handful of short fill-in urban scenarios, and c) papercraft buildings. If the copy they've got used has the paper buildings in it and the price is pretty good, I'd say go for it. I got tons of "general use" out of City System back in the day.

Although, if you're going to use the paper buildings, I'd consider scanning in the sheets for later reproduction in cardstock (eventually you'll need more buildings, right?).

 

[Knightfall]

I'd recommend 'City System' if it's a decent price. It's tagged as a Realms product, but in reality it's a) general city-building advice and tips on running urban adventures, b) a handful of short fill-in urban scenarios, and c) papercraft buildings. If the copy they've got used has the paper buildings in it and the price is pretty good, I'd say go for it. I got tons of "general use" out of City System back in the day.

Although, if you're going to use the paper buildings, I'd consider scanning in the sheets for later reproduction in cardstock (eventually you'll need more buildings, right?).

Actually, I think you're thinking of Cities of Mystery...

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Forgotten Realms: Cities of Mystery

 

[M.L. Martin]

1994
CHALLENGER SERIES
The Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game [1106] [boxed set]

This is a compact repackaging of the 1991 Big Black Box, with the Dragon Cards folded into the rulebook, IIRC.

RAVENLOFT
Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales [boxed set]

This may be the most non-D&Dish product ever marketed under the (A)D&D label--a Ravenloft variant intended to recreate Victorian-era horror literature, with a dramatic revision of 2E that takes the Ravenloft rules and adds on a proficiency- and kit-centered character creation system and a toned-down magic system, along with world information, three adventures, and a set of villains both original and literary (including a unique take on Professor Moriarty -- as a

Spoiler

rakshasa

).

1999 (TSR/WotC)
Campaign Option: Council of Wyrms Setting [?]
[?] How does this compare to the boxed set version?

I think it includes the Dragon Sage kit from DRAGON #206; otherwise, it's just the same content in a hardback form. (Remember, this was after the WotC takeover and the subsequent death of boxed sets.)

DRAGONLANCE
Dragonlance Classics 15th Anniversary Edition

Every run of the DRAGONLANCE line ends (or nearly does--there were two products released after this one in the SAGA iteration) in a return to the beginning--the original DL1-14 adventures. This is a fairly substantial rework of the series, with 2E and SAGA System stats, and the same high points and general framework but a lot of differences--many locations and encounters are removed, and many have been added to either reduce the railroading somewhat and give alternate paths for the adventure, or just to throw in easter eggs touching on 15 years of DL history and lore. I haven't paid much attention to Sovereign Press's 3.5 reworks, but DLC15A is more compact than the originals, more story-focused and has what looks to be a killer climax. I'd recommend using it as the foundation for someone who wants to run the DL campaign, adding in details from the original modules to taste. (Again, I don't know the SP 3.5 versions--I gave up on DL for a variety of reasons after the War of Souls and the 3.5 relaunch--so I can't compare them.)

 

[The Ghost]

1999 (TSR/WotC)
GREYHAWK
Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff

The original "G" series (G1-2-3) is, in my humble opinion, one of the best adventures ever produced for Dungeons and Dragons. This product contains those adventures and then expands it to include Part Two: The Liberation of Geoff. The second part of the module details many areas of Geoff, includes histories on the towns as well as their current state. It includes a handful of dungeons that are, for the most part, interesting. The only problem is that it can become somewhat monotonous when the vast majority of things you fight are ogres, trolls, and giants.

If you do not own the original "G" series, then this is definitely a pick-up. If you do own the original "G" series, then, well... I would still buy it. But, then again, I am a big Greyhawk fan.

 

[Pramas]

Some trivia for you. Vortex of Madness' original title was Planar Sites and it was meant to be part of the same series as Castle Sites and City Sites. When I wrote it originally, the sites were not linked. After I turned over the manuscript, the brand people (for whatever reason) decided it would sell better as an adventure, so the developer used the Vortex of Madness to link all the sites and provide an overarching story. Hence the final form and title of the book.

 

[Knightfall]

Every run of the DRAGONLANCE line ends (or nearly does--there were two products released after this one in the SAGA iteration) in a return to the beginning--the original DL1-14 adventures. This is a fairly substantial rework of the series, with 2E and SAGA System stats, and the same high points and general framework but a lot of differences--many locations and encounters are removed, and many have been added to either reduce the railroading somewhat and give alternate paths for the adventure, or just to throw in easter eggs touching on 15 years of DL history and lore. I haven't paid much attention to Sovereign Press's 3.5 reworks, but DLC15A is more compact than the originals, more story-focused and has what looks to be a killer climax. I'd recommend using it as the foundation for someone who wants to run the DL campaign, adding in details from the original modules to taste. (Again, I don't know the SP 3.5 versions--I gave up on DL for a variety of reasons after the War of Souls and the 3.5 relaunch--so I can't compare them.)

Interesting... this sounds like a good alternative to the original modules. I wasn't looking forward to trying to collect all those old modules.

Whoa... I just had a feeling of deja vu. I feel like I've asked about this module before but it can't be since I only discovered its existance the other day in the Dragonlance section of the TSR Archive. Weird.

 

[Knightfall]

The original "G" series (G1-2-3) is, in my humble opinion, one of the best adventures ever produced for Dungeons and Dragons. This product contains those adventures and then expands it to include Part Two: The Liberation of Geoff. The second part of the module details many areas of Geoff, includes histories on the towns as well as their current state. It includes a handful of dungeons that are, for the most part, interesting. The only problem is that it can become somewhat monotonous when the vast majority of things you fight are ogres, trolls, and giants.

If you do not own the original "G" series, then this is definitely a pick-up. If you do own the original "G" series, then, well... I would still buy it. But, then again, I am a big Greyhawk fan.

Cool. I'm definitely going to add this adventure to my Greyhawk 2e "To Get" List. I'd prefer it over the origial module since it has the original text included in it.

 

[Knightfall]

Some trivia for you. Vortex of Madness' original title was Planar Sites and it was meant to be part of the same series as Castle Sites and City Sites. When I wrote it originally, the sites were not linked. After I turned over the manuscript, the brand people (for whatever reason) decided it would sell better as an adventure, so the developer used the Vortex of Madness to link all the sites and provide an overarching story. Hence the final form and title of the book.

Thanks for the info, Chris. A good tidbit of history there. Do you have any history tidbits to share regarding these two books?

• A Guide to Hell (*)
• Apocalypse Stone, The

*FYI... I have this one. It's really good.