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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ColonelHardisson" data-source="post: 4722421" data-attributes="member: 363">I really like this super-adventure. I think it'd benefit from conversion to a more recent edition in order to give the encounters more variety. As others have noted, the place is swarming with goblins. Thematically, I like it a lot - the traditional arch-enemies of dwarves giving them a run for their money. There are some interesting NPCs, a few surprises, and some really nifty maps of a great dwarven city.Generally fun stuff. A lot of "basic" D&D's sourcebooks like this one were more lighthearted and breezy than their AD&D counterparts. My feelings on this book are essentially the same as for Book of Marvelous Magic.While I never cottoned much to "basic" D&D, this book is worth seeking out just for its completeness.I've never had much use for Ravenloft or Planescape "canon," so I don't care if this module flouts it. The module itself is...well, kinda nutty. There's a lot going on, and it has a definite "wahoo" feel to it, akin to Judges Guild stuff from the 70s. Plus, there are tongue-in-cheek references to D&D "urban legends," specifically the infamous Head of Vecna. I'd recommend it, but not for the crazy prices I've seen it go for - I've seen it being sold on Amazon for $90, and more on eBay. I bought my copy new, so I'm good... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />There is a warmth to this book that has never been evoked by its descendants, despite the 3e and 4e DMGs being good books in and of themselves. Before I was able to get Dragon on a regular basis, and long before internet message boards, the 1e DMG was like a companion and advisor for DMs both new and experienced. It was, and is, a treasure trove of odds and ends, and a lot of it is still useful today. Gygax's prose is very accessible and gives the book a definite personality. Some of my affection for it is certainly nostalgic in nature, but I still occasionally open it up and find it a fun, inspirational read. If you can't find it (but you most likely can), the HackMaster Game Master's Guide is a good substitute - it uses much of the original AD&D DMG's text as is, and expands on it some.A true mixed bag. A lot of odd, some might say useless monsters inhabit this book. It has a definite look and feel to it that places it apart from the Monster Manuals. It also has a lot more "metagame" inspired monsters than its predecessors, with critters like the adherer and disenchanter seemingly in existence to vex adventurers, rather than having sprung from folklore or a magically-imbued ecosystem. Still, there is a good bit of coolness - the githyanki and githzerai debut here, the drow finally get a real write-up, and the lizard king...well, the lizard king is a big lizard man who can skewer you on a big fork. But his illustration is cool. Still, I hesitate to recommend the book, unless you're a completist. This is a good one-stop reference for the setting, but it incorporates changes to the setting that I never particularly cared for. I like this module in spite of it doing something I normally hate - railroading. Plus, it makes the PCs spectators for some pretty big doings, rather than having them actually making a difference. Still, it's atmospheric, and there are elements here of a much larger campaign. This module could easily have been expanded into a boxed set, or, in today's way of doing things, an adventure path.</blockquote>

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