I was very excited to learn of this project, and with my interest in the B series modules, it was a foregone conclusion that I would purchase it. I picked up a copy at Gary Con, and was able to get folks like Darlene and Diesel to sign parts of it (Diesel was even so kind as to add a secret chamber to the Caves of Chaos map!) I know very little about 5E but a D&D club is starting up at my son's school, and so I downloaded the "Basic Rules" (114 pages!) off the WotC website to familiarize myself a little with it.
5E conversion design and writing: Chris Doyle
5E edition editing and additional support: Tim Wadzinski
Additional writing: Luke Gygax, Alex Kammer, Brendan J. LaSalle, Mike Mearls, Harley Stroh, Jim Wampler
5E edition playtesters: Alec Doyle, Lisa Doyle, Devin McCullen
Additional research: David Friant
Cover design: Lester B. Portly
Cover art: Jim Roslof (front), Darlene (back)
Interior layout: Jamie Wallis
Interior art direction: Jeremy Mohler
Interior art: Ger Curti, Dean Kotz, Aaron Palmeier, Chris Yarbrough
Cartography: Keith Curtis
Publisher: Joseph Goodman
Overview:
This is a large tome at 384 pages, a bit unwieldy but physically sturdy and not as heavy as a 384-page textbook due to durable but lightweight paper. It contains reprintings of the original Holmes-compatible versions of modules B1 and B2, as well as the revised Moldvay versions, together with a fair amount of retrospectives and commentary. It also contains 5E conversions of both adventures, together with lots of new illustrations, expanded material and four appendices.
Preface: "Of Keeps, Borderlands, and Searches of the Unknown" by Mike Mearls
"Discovering the Caves of Chaos" by Harley Stroh
"My Journey to the Keep: Or, Greyhawk on One Evil Amulet a Day" by Brendan J. LaSalle
"How B2 Started my Adventure Module Collection" by Alex Kammer
There's a lengthy interview with Mike Carr by Jim Wampler, which covers some new ground.
Finally, there's a short section on the "Mystery of the Alternate B1 Cover Art" (previously discussed here on Dragonsfoot at "Trampier version of B1 cover"), although I think it would have been nice to enlarge the original illustration by Dave Trampier, and to place it above or below the combined work by Sutherland and Trampier, to permit a closer comparison between the two versions.
I personally like the fact that both versions of the original module are included. This is a treasury edition and it's interesting to compare the various differences. The original B1 contains many OD&Disms and is hard to come by. The Moldvay version was actually a bit of a sloppy edit back in the day.
Chapter 3 contains 3 stocked examples of the Caverns of Quasqueton, mostly using the Moldvay monster and treasure listings by Chris Doyle, Michael Curtis, and Tim Wadzinski. Those of you looking for more options can also check out "How have you stocked B1 In Search of the Unknown?"
I was likewise pleased that both versions of this module were included. The original B2 contains different art from the revised version, and having both versions in the same volume is useful for comparing the two editions. Plus, the original version has those Dex scores for use with Holmes!
Chapter 5 is a section titled "Advice for Dungeon Masters" with 3 new illustrations, which is a bit of a funny blend between sections taken from both B1 and B2, together with sections on the passage of time and designing challenging encounters (in 5E terms) and a 1-page tips to the players (mostly paraphrasing Mike Carr's advice from B1)
Chapter 6 is the 5E version of module B1, complete with 12 new illustrations. The maps for both levels of the Caverns of Quaqueton have been completely redone, with small changes throughout. There are italicized paragraphs within the descriptions for each room, to be read or paraphrased, something the original version lacked, (the equivalent of "boxed text").
Both levels of the dungeon have been fully stocked with monsters and treasure (some drawn from the original lists, some new). Orcs have been replaced with a sinister pack of gnomes on the first level, and there are links to a few expanded areas on the lower level (the hidden tomb of Rogahn, and a secret sanctuary for Zelligar).
The writers have also included a few details regarding the barbarian tribes to the north (the standards of the barbarian tribes found in the trophy room on the upper level are identified as those of the Wolf, Toothed Whale, and Ice Bear clans, and the skeleton of the barbarian chief in the museum on the lower level is identified as "Itchor, Chief of the Ice Bear Clan").
Chapter 7 details additional encounters for the Caverns of Quasqueton. These involve the legendary tower, as well as the two aforementioned areas in the lower caverns (comprising several rooms each). I was pleased to see that access to the tower was through a staircase in the centre of the spiral corridor - a spot I likewise favoured in the thread "B1 expansion ideas" posted a ways back.
Although the 5E version comes fully stocked, Chapter 8 provides advice for keying the Dungeon of Quasqueton personally, using an updated list of monsters and treasure.
The 5E version of the Keep gets its own chapter, with more new illustrations. This is basically a straight-up conversion of the Keep with stats for all those NPCs updated to 5E. Some names have been included, taken from the novelization of "The Keep on the Borderlands" by Ru Emerson, which I personally thought was a nice touch.
Chapter 10 covers adventures outside the Keep, including 28 random wilderness encounters, detailed descriptions of the various geographic locations, and 13 set encounters. The map of the wilderness area surrounding the Keep has been redone, and there are more new illustrations.
For this section, the writers turned to the 25th anniversary module "Return to the Keep on the Borderlands" by John D. Rateliff for some of the names (the river is called "The Goblinwater" and the coniferous patch of forest is called "The Spiderwood"). A few of the memorable encounters from that module have likewise been incorporated, such as the enigmatic "Bee Man".
As with Rateliff's module, the Caverns of Quasqueton have been used for the Cave of the Unknown, although the writers leave open the possibility of the DM substituting his own dungeon. I dislike mash-ups of B1 and B2, but I can see the rationale here. The clearing around the Cave of the Unknown is described as a rocky protrusion, which renders it a better fit.
Chapter 11 details the 5E version of the Caves of Chaos, complete with 8 new illustrations. The map for the Caves was also redone, with italicized paragraphs within the descriptions for each room, to be read or paraphrased, something the original version lacked, (the equivalent of "boxed text").
Chapter 12 includes descriptions of 2 new caves! (Cave L, and Cave M) as well as another 6 new illustrations. I'm not going to spill the details, except to say that both have been well thought out and are pretty cool. Plus, there are descriptions for several new areas along the boulder-filled passage to the Cave of the Unknown.
Includes 48 entries, comprised of either monsters or notable NPCs. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of Jean Wells' vampire rosebushes ("Awakened Vampiric Shrub") and her decapus.
Includes 5E versions of 12 of Mike Carr's pregenerated characters, together with Gary's advice for assigning personality traits from B2.
Colour versions of the various covers and bluetone maps of the original modules.
There's a passing reference to a book called "Outdoor Survival" in the Caverns of Quasqueton, which brought a smile to my lips.
There are names for some NPCs in the Keep drawn from the aforementioned novelization of "The Keep on the Borderlands" by Ru Emerson, along with the main characters of that novel turning up as a NPC party!
This is an ambitious repackaging of the original versions of modules B1 and B2, together with introductory retrospectives, and detailed conversions to 5E with tons of additional material, including dozens of new illustrations and multiple appendices. The physical quality of the product is high, and it's clear the work was knowledgeably and painstakingly undertaken.
In my opinion, this is a pretty incredible achievement. 5E seems to be gaining traction, and this volume will introduce a whole new generation of gamers to updated and expanded versions of these classic adventures. There is much that old school gamers will find useful, although realistically most will prefer our own personalized expansions. Still, there are some worthy ideas and maps that make owning this quite worth it.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, my only quibble is the size. I would have preferred separate, smaller volumes devoted to B1 and B2 individually for ease of reading and use in gaming, but sections of the pdf version can easily be printed for use instead. The other issue is the price point, but in comparison to other 5E products, it's pretty much in line (for example, the new Player's Handbook is more expensive).
An Update on "Into the Borderlands" posted by pandabrett on Sep 17, 2017
The Latest News on Into the Borderlands! posted by pandabrett on Jan 10, 2018
Into the Borderlands FAQ posted by pandabrett on Jan 21, 2018
Last Call for Pre-Orders on Into the Borderlands! Debuting at Gary Con! posted by pandabrett on Mar 3, 2018
Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands
No comments:
Post a Comment