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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Melan" data-source="post: 2290912" data-attributes="member: 1713">Dark Tower, 1st edition AD&DReasons: this Judges Guild module was one of Paul Jaquay’s masterpieces and is counted among the best the Guild has offered. Other PJ adventures like Caverns of Thracia (OD&D, later re-released for 3e as well), Hellpits of Nightfang (Runequest) and Realm of the Slime God (whacked out OD&D fun, found in the Dungeoneer’s Compendium) are also highly recommended, but DT is the best of all as far as I am concerned. Dark Tower’s main virtue is probably being an „epic” dungeon that’s also loaded with a wide selection of tricks, traps and nasty things that offer several ways to approach the problem. Run properly, it can become a great finale to a campaign, no matter whether the PCs succeed or fail in the end.The dungeon is a four level complex surrounding two ancient towers buried beneath the very mountains, with a lot of sub-levels, two-level structures, side areas and such. Throw in a bunch of well organized but somewhat divided bad guys (the cultists of Set), a lot of monsters, nasty artifacts with an agenda of their own and a grand finale (the ascent to the Dark Tower, where Set’s chosen sons and his immortal high priest await), and you have got a wild, deadly and chaotic ride.Dark Tower uses the same basic formula as EGG & Mentzer’s Temple of Elemental Evil, but has a very different, strong sword&sorcery feel. There are also less rooms with „five hobgoblins, 400 gp and a bit of broken furniture”, which is a good thing in my book. It is also a good example of proper old school dungeon design: there are a lot of connections between the levels, and there is no feeling of „herding” like in many other adventures.C1 - The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, 1st edition AD&D. Reasons: C1 is probably best noted for three innovations, all of which were flawlessly executed. The first is the fact that it is a „reverse dungeon” that stands the classic „enter the lost tomb and descend to its depths” scenario on its heads. In C1, the PCs start on the lowest level of the dungeon and have to get out before the poison gas filling the passages kills them. Therefore, seeking out treasures and uncovering hidden areas is secondary to emerging alive – a point the group I ran the module for failed to grasp (they all died).The second innovation is the inventive use of scenery in the puzzles. There are secrets masked by plaster, traps which have become inert (or just mostly inert?) due to the passage of time and all sorts of miscellaneous features which give the place a distinct vibe.The third innovation (reinforcing point two) is the way Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason used Aztec mythology. Many of the challenges in the dungeon draw heavily on these myths, and the treasures are also things you would expect to find in an Aztec tomb. However, it is not a slavish retread of historical facts - no, everything is interpreted through the lens of D&D’s assumed „millieu” and play style, making sense in that context. A lot better than servile copying, IMHO.Further bits I like in C1:-The cover by Erol Otus and the illustration booklet-Cool room names like „Apartment of the dust of ages”, „Bed of Xilonen” or „The Child of Zotzilaha”. When I ran the adventure, whenever the PCs entered an area, I always told the players which room they were exploring – as a sort of clue/foreshadowing. Like „You have now entered the Hall of the Greater Spirits!!” and such (sometimes finished by „Fear and tremble!” <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=";)" />).-It is not an empty dungeon. There are dozens and dozens of memorable places within the shrine.-A good mixture of combat, communication and exploration/mood setting.-Proper scale: large enough to feel like an expansive complex, small enough to fit into a campaign and be playable in one to three evenings.All in all, an excellent scenario that is, in my eyes, superior even to the Tomb of Horrors itself (and that’s a tall order: S1 is also one of the greats).</blockquote>

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