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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2008511" data-attributes="member: 18387">The first adventure published by Wizards of the Coast needed to be a lot of different things to different people.  It needed to be easy to run for first time DMs.  It needed to have a couple inventive twists for longtime players.  It needed to showcase the flexibility of the (then) new Third Edition system and set the standard nice and high for WotC’s ‘Adventure Path’ series.  Most of all, it needed to be a fun scenario.  ‘The Sunless Citadel’ by Bruce R. Cordell has all these things in spades.  It is a classic dungeon crawl that grizzled veterans will find nostalgic and first time players will walk away from with a fairly comprehensive understanding of what D&D is all about.The module can be used in pretty much any setting without too much modification aside from minor changes in the geography. The background is peppered with gothic evil and good ol’ fashioned plot hooks any DM can use to draw the PCs into the problems facing the small town of Oakhurst.  A party of adventurers hasn’t returned from an expedition and two of them happen to be the son and daughter of a local merchant who is ready to pay the party to bring them back.  Livestock in the area is found slain by something with tiny needlelike claws and saplings in the area keep going ‘missing’.  Goblins have been raiding merchant caravans.  Whether the players are motivated by greed, glory, or their lawful good alignment, Cordell makes sure DMs have the tools required to engage the PCs right up front.Once the PCs descend into the lightless depths of the Citadel, the adventure begins in earnest.  After a few ‘warm-up’ bouts with dire rats, the party is confronted by a weak, sniveling kobold who has just lost his baby dragon.  PCs itching for a fight might decide to attack right away (which wouldn’t really spoil too much), but more diplomatically minded players can work themselves into the good graces of the kobold royalty, discovering a tribal conflict between the kobolds and a tribe of goblinoids.  Both factions vie for control of the underground lair, making this no simple hack-n-slash dungeon crawl as crafty PCs are able to play both sides against the middle.  Set just behind this conflict is the Citadel itself, an ancient temple to a dragon worshipping cult with hidden secrets waiting to be discovered on the other side of well designed and placed traps, puzzles, and enemies.  To overcome all the challenges in this adventure, PCs need sharp wits in addition to sharp swords.The climactic battle is a tad bit underdeveloped.  The final ‘bad guy’ is a little weak, but bearing in mind this is supposed to be an introductory adventure, such an easily defeated foe is easily forgiven.  His motivations and machinations are inventive; the missing saplings and odd tree-like monsters the PCs keep having to battle are explained with appropriate evidence placed amid the lower levels of the dungeon.  Truly inquisitive PCs (you know the type) should be satisfied with the thorough and comprehensive background provided.All in all, this is a great adventure.  Traps, undead, kobolds, goblins, weird stuff, missing adventurers, an ancient cult, an insane druid... this is (or, in this reviewers’ case, was) a great way to warm up to the 3E system.  Cordell thoughtfully provided encounters that will lead a DM through most of the new basic rules (caltrops, jumping, turning undead, disease, poison, lock picking, etc.) without burdening him or her with any of the more esoteric mechanics.  He provides a hook or two leading to ‘Forge of Fury’ (the next adventure in the Adventure Path series) without allowing them to become huge flaming arrows that might railroad PCs. He also lays the groundwork for ‘Heart of Nightfang Spire’, the next adventure in his ‘Gulthias’ story line that DMs might want to check out before running ‘Sunless Citadel’ if they know their players are in the campaign for the long haul.  The encounters are solidly balanced (except for the main bad guy, but do you really want your PCs to be hopelessly slain this early in the adventure?), the NPCs are memorable (anyone who has ever played through this module will doubtlessly have a story or two about Meepo or Erky Timbers), and the enemies are well rationalized.  The inclusion of an actual dragon in the first D&D adventure was a great idea, as was making sure the PCs had plenty of goblins to fight without having it seem as though they were thrown in ‘just ‘cause they’re goblins’.  Weaknesses?  I really can’t think of any.  Honestly.  If you’re looking for a pre-written adventure to kick off your next campaign, you really can’t go wrong with this one... it’s got it all.</blockquote>

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