The Elven Home

The premier issue of Dungeon magazine (September/October, 1986) contains a four-page Basic D&D wilderness scenario, written by Anne Gray McCready.

Illustration by Valerie Valusek, from Dungeon #1 (Sept/Oct 1986)

Intended as a side-trek for a party of 1-4 characters of 1st to 3rd levels, the action takes place during a wilderness journey through forested hills.

The elven home described in the adventure is only one of several elven dwellings in the area, and can be located within any temperate, forested hex.

About the Author:

Gray McCready's first assignment was to edit the Mentzer Basic edition of the D&D Basic Set (uncredited).  She earned a byline in the credits for the Mentzer Expert, Companion, and Master DM's books (as Anne C. Gray) as well as the Immortals Rules (as Anne Gray McCready).

Anne Gray McCready's biographical sketch was accidentally dropped from her module, though readers of Dragon magazine may recall her "Profiles" appearance in issue #111 (page 65).  Anne has long been a fan of elves, as anyone who has read D&D game module CM5, "Mystery of the Snow Pearls", is aware.  Anne has left game editing at TSR, Inc., to work in our marketing department.  Her game design and development credits include projects as diverse as the Conan game and the All My Children board game.  A resident of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, Anne recently finished RS1, Red Sonja Unconquered, an AD&D game module featuring the flame-haired swordswoman.

Dungeon #2 (November/December, 1986)

Reader Feedback:

But tell me, what is the point of something like "The Elven Home" [issue 1]?  It's four pages long, and all the PCs can do is look around and say "How neat.  Thor ties his shoes and continues to look for the dragon's cave."

Hal Looby, Philadelphia PA

Dungeon #15 (January/February, 1989)

Finnish Version:

Interestingly, "The Elven Home" was used in place of "The Treasure of the Hideous One" in the Finnish version of AC2 (published in 1988):

The Sword of Justice

"The Sword of Justice" by Jon Mattson is a Basic D&D adventure for 4-6 characters of 1st to 2nd level, published in Dragon #92 (December, 1984).

Poster in the village of Farstead.

About the Author:

Jon Mattson was an early contributor to multiple gaming magazines, with articles in Dragon magazine, The Dungeoneer, Different Worlds, and Ares.

His design credits also include "House on Hangman's Hill" (Judges Guild, 1981), similar in certain respects to "The Sword of Justice".

The Sword of Justice:

I ran this adventure a few years back, and posted a review on Dragonsfoot, here.  It's a good scenario, and my group really enjoyed it.

I favour a location in the Republic of Darokin (as explained in my review), near to my suggested location for XS2 "Thunderdelve Mountain".

Falrik Moondance:

This fully-sketched out NPC could be used in other adventures, complete with a backstory based on the events described in this adventure.

The titular magic sword "Annacon" can be introduced as Falrik's weapon, or be found among his remains, wielded by another NPC, or as part of a monster's treasure.

The Book of Kanos:

A thin volume of legends and tales, in which "some of the passages have been marked as possibly indicating the presence of sizable treasure hoards."

Suggestions include lost dragon lairs, bandit hideouts, shipwrecks, and so forth.  (I've drafted a version for use as an in-game artifact.)

Castle Mistamere: Further Adventures

The "Group Adventure" involving the ruins of Castle Mistamere represents a great start to a BECMI campaign, but where to go from there?

Map from the D&D Expert Set (1983) rulebook by Frank Mentzer

Threshold:

The D&D Expert Set (1983) rulebook contains several ideas for adventures in and around the town of Threshold, some for 1-3 characters, and others for parties of all levels.

I would strongly suggest running "The Old Mill", "The Attic", and/or "Riverside Tragedy" for 1-3 characters before "Castle Mistamere" (see Campaign Journal).

This gives beginning DMs a chance to run sessions for 1-3 players, and provides characters with an opportunity to gain experience, before taking on Bargle.

After the "Group Adventure", it's a good idea for the party to have a few more adventures in and around Threshold, before leaving to seek wider fame and fortune.*

*two other possibilities include "The Haunted Helm" and/or "The Questing Barbarian" for character levels 1-4, in AC10 "Bestiary of Dragons and Giants" (1987)

Kelvin:

The PCs will eventually make the trip downriver to Kelvin, which is comparable in size to Threshold, and smaller than Luln, according to the legend in the D&D Expert Set (1983) rulebook.

From there, the party can either decide to continue following the river to Specularum, head north across the mountains to Selenica, or explore the surrounding wilderness.

(Module B2 "The Keep on the Borderlands" is indicated on the map, although I prefer a location further south, on the other major tributary).

Specularum:

For parties continuing to Specularum, this represents an opportunity to run module B6 "The Veiled Society" or obtain passage to "The Isle of Dread".

Selenica:

For parties choosing to travel north to Selenica, they might be hired as caravan guards, and head east into the Alasiyan desert and module B4 "The Lost City".

Should they decide to travel west, there's an opportunity to run "The Sword of Justice" from Dragon #92 on the way to Darokin City.

Castle Mistamere

The "Group Adventure" in the Mentzer Basic Dungeon Masters Rulebook was designed to be run by a beginning DM, for a group of beginning players:

"Many years ago, this part of the Realm of Man was ruled by a magic-user named Gygar, a man of great and mysterious powers.  He ruled the lands from his mighty Castle Mistamere, located at the foot of the mountains to the north.

"Gygar died after a long and peaceful rule, but no successor was named.  Over the years, the unclaimed castle fell into ruins.

“Now, centuries later, the outline of the broken towers can still be seen from the town, ever beckoning to seekers of danger, fame and fortune.

Frank Mentzer, DMs Rulebook (1983)

"The Realm of Man" may be a reference to "The Realm of mankind" mentioned in module B2 "The Keep on the Borderlands".

(We learn in the D&D Expert Set (1983) rulebook that Castle Mistamere is located in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.)

I believe that Frank intended to honor both Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the co-creators of D&D, in coining the name Gygar, taking the first syllable of each of their surnames.

Map of Level One of Castle Mistamere, the "Group Adventure" from the D&D Basic Set (1983) DMs Rulebook, by Frank Mentzer

WotC posted a link to a pdf of the dungeon in 2008, as part of an article on Sample Dungeons by Bart Carroll, still available here (including 4e stats for Bargle).

OD&D Discussion forum member jeffb graciously shared pics of annotated maps in Mentzer's actual play copy of the DMs Rulebook, as part of a series of posts in June, 2020:

Map of Level Two of Castle Mistamere, including handwritten notations by Frank Mentzer, as originally posted by jeffb, here

Prospective DMs shouldn't be fooled - even though the "Group Adventure" is intended for beginning players, it can be deadly.

I've run it a couple of times, most recently several years ago for my kids, when my daughters first expressed interest in playing D&D (see our Campaign Journal).

Kill Bargle:

Mentzer provides general notes for Dungeon Levels Two and Three, used by Jason Bulmahn in "Kill Bargle", published in Dungeon #150 (September, 2007).

Bulmahn's version is for 3.5e, and was designed for four 3rd-level characters.  It's tough - and the difficulty ramps up pretty quickly.

I converted the adventure into BECMI, back when I ran it for my kids, and created a 7-page document in the style of the Basic Set rulebook, (downloadable here).

Tales of Mystara:

Check out the Solo Dungeon Crawler website for a well-done series of episodes involving an alternate expansion of the ruins of Castle Mistamere.

Update (Jan 11, 2024) - I recently came across this advice for adjudicating the magic bedroom in Polyhedron #24:

Q. In the revised Basic Set's group adventure, what happens if there are only two player characters and both fall asleep in Room 25?  (My players brought in three characters, but one died and the other two failed their Saving Throws in that room.)  Should I allow the players to try their Saving Throws again, or must I reduce the effect of the magic bedroom?

A. Modify the effect.  There are several ways to do it, but I'd recommend another Saving Throw each hour or so; if successful, the victim sleepwalks across the hall to Room 26.  (Note that if only one character makes the Saving Throw, he/she will soon awaken alone, and must find the other and figure out a remedy...)

Mentzer Basic: Character Alignment

Mentzer Basic retained a 3-prong alignment system, in keeping with OD&D and Moldvay Basic, (see also Moldvay Basic: Character Alignment).

A Pictorial Example of Alignment Behavior.  Illustration by Larry Elmore, based on the original by David S. LaForce.  From the French edition of the D&D Basic Set (1982) edited by Tom Moldvay.

Frank Mentzer wrote:

Three basic ways of life guide the acts of both player characters and monsters.  Each way of life is called an alignment.  The three alignments are named Law, Chaos, and Neutrality.  Each alignment has a language that includes hand signals and other body motions.  Player characters always know how to speak their alignment language in addition to any others they may know.  If a monster is able to speak, it will also be able to use its alignment language.

Law (or Lawful) is the belief that everything should follow an order, and that obeying rules is the natural way of life.  Lawful creatures will try to tell the truth, obey laws, and care about all living things.  Lawful characters always try to keep their promises.  They will try to obey laws as long as such laws are fair and just.

If a choice must be made between the benefit of a group or an individual, a Lawful character will usually choose the group.  Sometimes individual freedoms must be given up for the good of the group.  Lawful characters and monsters often act in predictable ways.  Lawful behavior is usually the same as behavior that could be called “good.”

Chaos (or Chaotic) is the opposite of Law.  It is the belief that life is random, and that chance and luck rule the world.  Everything happens by accident and nothing can be predicted.  Laws are made to be broken, as long as a person can get away with it.  It is not important to keep promises, and lying and telling the truth are both useful.

To a Chaotic creature, the individual is the most important of all things.  Selfishness is the normal way of life, and the group is not important.  Chaotics often act on sudden desires and whims.  They cannot be trusted, their behavior is hard to predict.  They have strong belief in the power of luck.  Chaotic behavior is usually the same as behavior that could be called “evil.”

Neutrality (or Neutral) is the belief that the world is a balance between Law and Chaos.  It is important that neither side get too much power and upset this balance.  The individual is important, but SO is the group; the two sides must work together.

A Neutral character is most interested in personal survival.  Such characters believe in their own wits and abilities rather than luck.  They tend to return the treatment they receive from others.  Neutral characters will join a party if they think it is in their own best interest, but will not be overly helpful unless there is some sort of profit in it.  Neutral behavior may be considered “good” or “evil” (or neither), depending on the situation. 

D&D Basic Rules (1983), Players Manual, pg. 55

This is the standard interpretation of D&D alignment as informed by the writings of Michael Moorcock, with implications for the cosmology of a D&D world.

In operationalizing alignment for an OD&D, B/X or BECMI game (Holmes and AD&D are different matters), an aspect of play that is typically neglected is the inclusion of a pantheon.

For alignment to truly matter, there need to be Lords of Law and Chaos.  There may be a Church of Law, and several disorganized factions of Chaos devoted to its lords.

Alignment Languages:

Each alignment has a secret language of passwords, hand signals, and other body motions.  Player characters and intelligent monsters will always know their alignment languages.  They will also recognize when another alignment language is being spoken, but will not understand it.  Alignment languages are not written down, nor may they be learned unless a character changes alignment.  When this happens, the character forgets the old alignment language and starts using the new one immediately. 

D&D Basic Rules (1983), Players Manual, pg. 56

Alignment languages indicate that a sentient creature is in communion with its particular ethos.  They are a representation of the supernatural, and a constant reminder of its presence.

The Unaligned:

In the Chainmail rules, there may arguably be only two alignments - Law and Chaos, as represented in the writings of Poul Anderson.  Neutrals might side with either Law or Chaos, or choose to remain Neutral, (ie. not part of the conflict, or in other words, unaligned).

OD&D changes the term "Neutral" to "Neutrality", indicating a subtle but important distinction, representing a true alignment of its own, based on a belief in the Cosmic Balance, as represented in the writings of Michael Moorcock.

Including "the unaligned" as a fourth group in B/X or BECMI is perhaps what the system is missing.  Not everyone would be able to communicate using an alignment language, and so not understanding Lawful or Neutral wouldn't necessarily mean that a stranger is Chaotic.

The Ancient Conflict:

Permitting "unaligned" characters has the interesting consequence of resulting in a world in which potentially very few are aware of the ancient conflict between Law and Chaos.  Perhaps the cosmic struggle is regarded as a myth.

Reminders that this ancient struggle was very real and may once again erupt can be found in the functioning of certain spells, and the presence of certain magic items (such as intelligent swords) or artifacts of Law or Chaos.

Mentzer Basic

The third edition of the D&D Basic Set was released in mid-1983, followed by a revised D&D Expert Set, shortly thereafter.  Higher level play was to be covered in the D&D Companion Set (for character levels 15-25), and D&D Master Set (for character levels 26-36).

D&D Basic Set (3rd edition, 1983).  Cover illustration by Larry Elmore.

The new Basic Set was revised by Frank Mentzer, who explained how he was assigned the job, and initial cover concepts for the new set, on a thread over at the Piazza in 2017, here.

Original sketch for the cover painting of the D&D Basic Set (1983), by Larry Elmore.

Elmore described the creative process involved in "The Complete Elmore" vol. 1, pgs. 72-4, as recounted on a thread on Dragonsfoot, here.

Interior illustrations were by Elmore, Jim Holloway, and Jeff Easley, for a very different "feel" than the B/X gang of Dee, LaForce (Diesel), Otus, Roslof, and Willingham.

The dedication was to president and founder of TSR Hobbies, E. Gary Gygax "with the greatest admiration, respect, and thanks."

Frank Mentzer:

Mentzer was hired by TSR in January, 1980.  Later that same year, he won the 4th Invitational AD&D Masters Tournament at Gen Con XIII (see "He's the top Dungeon Mentzer" in Dragon #43).

From Dragon #43 (November, 1980)

The Red Box:

The set included a 64-page Players Manual, a 48-page Dungeon Masters Rulebook, a set of polyhedral dice (together with a crayon to fill in the numbers), and information on the RPGA.

The new Basic Set was discussed in "A New Game With a Familiar Name" by Frank Mentzer in Dragon #77 (September, 1983).  In it, Mentzer states:

I changed almost nothing in the actual Basic game rules.  The spell progressions for clerics and magic-users were a little lopsided, so I fixed those, but they'll only affect Expert-level play and up.  I inverted the game mechanic for "opening doors"; now they open on 5-6 (on 1d6), and you just add your strength bonus to the roll.  So minor things like that have been changed, for easier play, but the rest stands.  It's just presented differently...

Frank Mentzer, Dragon #77 (September, 1983)

Aleena:

The first adventure involves a fateful encounter with a wicked magic-user "Bargle the Infamous" in which Aleena, a female cleric, is slain.

Brush and ink illustration by Larry Elmore.

In a post on Dragonsfoot, back in February, 2008, Mentzer revealed that Aleena was inspired by former girlfriend, Aileen Shea (now Reynolds).

He later posted a number of old character index cards on Facebook, in October, 2019, including one for Cenavia, a cleric played by Shea.

A year later, he posted a number of old PC sheets, including that of Aviance, a Lawful Good cleric played by Shea (including bust/waist/hip measurements).

The demise of Aleena inspired the free dice game Kill Bargle* (2008) and a Labyrinth Lord adventure "The Shrine of St. Aleena" (2014) by Peter C. Spahn.

*a reference to the "Kill Bill" movies, for those of you reading this in the distant future

Solo adventure:

Mentzer drew a complete map of the introductory dungeon featured in the solo adventure (along with a couple of new rooms) for a friend/fan in July, 2014.

A copy of the Red Box Map - Expanded (September, 2014)

He posted another version on ebay, the first of a planned series of 5 in 2014.  A photo of #2 of the "Red Box Map - Expanded" was posted on Facebook in December, 2021, here.

For a fan expansion of the caves, check out "Find Bargle" an adventure for 4-6 characters of 1st-2nd level, published in Threshold #8 (July, 2015).

Characters:

Each character class description includes a sample name: Clarion, the Adept; Fleetwood, the Warrior; Felonius, the Seer; Greegan, the Footpad; Rolf, the (Dwarven) Warrior; Belrain, the (Elven) Warrior Seer; and Touchberry, the (Halfling) Warrior.

Mentzer discussed the origins of many of these names in this post on Dragonsfoot, back in 2008.  (Felonius, a neutral mage, was one of his first characters, as discussed, here).

Legacy:

The design of the Red Box was re-used for the 4e Starter Set (2010), as noted in this review from Wired on September 22, 2010.

As 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the BECMI line, I intend to focus on BECMI products over the course of this year (and likely, beyond).