Red Steel

The AD&D 2e "Red Steel" boxed set (1994) by Tim Beach detailed a unique campaign setting, based in part on the "Princess Ark" articles by Bruce Heard.

"Red Steel" (1994) by Tim Beach.

The boxed set included a 128 pg campaign book, a 32 pg gazetteer, three poster-sized, full color maps, and a 15-track audio CD.

Savage Coast - Red Steel prolog

The "Red Steel: Savage Baronies" accessory (1995) by Tim Beach covered the Savage Baronies region, along the western Gulf of Hule.

"Red Steel: Savage Baronies" (1995) by Tim Beach.  Cover illustration by Alan Pollack.

The boxed set included a 64 pg campaign book, a 32 pg adventure "Divided We Fall", a poster-sized, full color map, a 14-track audio CD, and 8 parchment paper handouts.

"The Black Vessel" (1996) by Morris Simon

The Mystara novel "The Black Vessel" (1996) by Morris Simon is set in the Savage Baronies.*

*see this thread over at the Piazza for an extensive review and commentary

Savage Coast Campaign Book (1996) by Tim Beach and Bruce Heard.  Cover illustration by Jennell Jaquays.

"Red Steel" and "Red Steel: Savage Baronies" were revised and re-released in 1996 under the AD&D: Odyssey line as a free download (available on the Vaults of Pandius, here).

Part 1: An Atlas of the Savage Coast
Part 2: Characters of the Savage Coast 
Part 3: Adventures on the Savage Coast

Additional free downloads included The Orc's Head Peninsula Campaign Book and the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium.

Fan-made PDFs were created using the files, laid out by Axel Boucher:

Savage Coast Campaign Book:

Part 1: An Atlas of the Savage Coast
Part 2: Characters of the Savage Coast 
Part 3: Adventures on the Savage Coast

The Orc's Head Peninsula Campaign Book:

Book 1: Orc's Head Peninsula Sourcebook

Book 2: Savage Steel

Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium

In 2021, WotC unwittingly released the fan-made PDFs for sale on DriveThruRPG (which have reached Copper status).  This caused a minor uproar in Mystara circles, given that WoTC is thereby obtaining revenue from a fan-made edit of a free download.

Additional Resources:

Savage Coast and Orc's Head Peninsula on the Vaults of Pandius
The "Savage Coast / Red Steel" forum on The Piazza
"Q&A with Tim Beach" (February 7, 2009)

X9: The Savage Coast

X9 "The Savage Coast" (1985) by Merle and Jackie Rasmussen, and Anne C. Gray is a D&D wilderness adventure for character levels 4-10, detailing the Savage Coast, the untamed frontier to the west of the Wild Lands.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast" (1985) by Merle and Jackie Rasmussen, and Anne C. Gray.  Cover illustration by Keith Parkinson.

The Adventure:

I posted a review of this module on Dragonsfoot, back in 2010.

The players are given four adventure hooks, one of which involves rival clerical brotherhoods.  A good way to extrapolate the authors' original intentions would be to make the Lost City of Risilvar the home base of the Brotherhood of Light.

I would flesh out a Chaotic Alliance including the aranea and the Brotherhood of Light and base them out of Risilvar.  Then I would stock those missing buildings in the Lost City and make tracking the Chaotic Alliance to the Lost City of Risilvar the climax of the module.

Since the adventurers are initially hired by the Brotherhood of Light to investigate the activities of the Lawful Brotherhood, this provides an opportunity for the party to be "played" by their original employers - something they would have to figure out for themselves.

See [BECMI] Extreme Makeover: X9 The Savage Coast on Dragonsfoot (June 23, 2010)

Design Origins:

Rasmussen reflected on the design origins in a post on Facebook:

The Savage Coast (X9) was an Expert Game Adventure for D&D. It takes place, you guessed it, on the Savage Coast.  It was more settings than plot line.  I studied the floor plan of a medieval monastery which became the Lawful Brotherhood Cleric Outpost.  I studied Central American pyramids that became the Lost City of Risilvar.  I remember hand drawing eight NPC/animal locations including Tribal Village, Pagan Teepees, Bark Lodges, Cay-men Compound, Phanaton Platforms, Arenea Webs, Tents, and Egg-Laying Grounds.  What was edited out became Tortles of the Purple Sage in two issues DUNGEON Magazine #6 & #7.  I may have outlined The Great Northway AKA Great Northway Lands in the 2 part Tortles adventure.

Merle Rasmussen on Facebook (October 6, 2015)

Plan of Saint Gall. Simplified view showing different structures.  (source: wikimedia)

In response to my question regarding the medieval monastery, he answered "I used the Plan of St. Gall which may never have actually been built until a recent reproduction."

Update (September 11, 2024) - a more comprehensive plan of the monastery of St. Gaul appears in the AD&D 2e "Charlemagne's Paladins" Campaign Sourcebook (1992)

The Lawful Brotherhood:

The Lawful Brotherhood represents the early/frontier church of the later Savage Baronies, and can be based on the religion of Narvaez (which seems to be inspired by Spain during the Inquisition).

Their temples have seven altar areas (one for each of the seven immortals in the pantheon of Narvaez: Ixion, the Inquisitor (Vanya), the Ambassador (Masauwu), the General (Thor), the Judge (Tarastia), Milan (Mealiden Starwatcher), and Valerias)

See Who were the Lawful Brotherhood? on the Piazza (June 28, 2010)

The Brotherhood of Light:

I like to regard the Brotherhood of Light as human worshipers of Menlil (aka Atzanteotl) and allies to the scorpion men of Nimmur, as described in Bruce Heard's article from Dragon #192 The Sting and the Sun.

Ixion and Atzanteotl are bitter rivals, hence the antipathy between the Lawful Brotherhood and the Brotherhood of Light, so-named because of their part to play in conquering the surface world for the followers of Menlil.

See Who were the Brotherhood of Light? on the Piazza (November 2, 2016)

New Monsters:

Amber Lotus Flower;* Amoeba, Giant;* Cay-men;** Decapus,*** Marine; Dog, Normal; Dragonne Monster;**** Giant River Serpentweed;** Lupin;* Pagan;* Sacrol;***** Tortle; Snapper; Strangle Vine******

*appeared in X2 "Castle Amber"
**appeared in AC2 "The Treasure of the Hideous One"
***appeared in B3 "Palace of the Silver Princess"

****appeared in XL-1 "Quest for the Heartstone"

*****appeared in M2 "Maze of the Riddling Minotaur"

******originally appeared as the Choke Creeper in the AD&D Monster Manual II

Coat of Arms of the Savage Coast, from Dragon #181 (May, 1992)

The Voyage of the Princess Ark:

Bruce Heard presented a richly detailed, Gazetteer-era version of the Savage Coast in a series of "Princess Ark" articles in Dragon magazine:

Part 21: The Savage Baronies (Dragon #174, October, 1991)
Part 22: The Savage Coast (Dragon #175, November, 1991)

Part 23: The Claw Peninsula (Dragon #176, December, 1991)

Part 24: The Kingdom of Robrenn (Dragon #177, January, 1992)

Part 25: The Kingdom of Eusdria (Dragon #178, February, 1992)

Part 26: The Kingdom of Renardy (Dragon #179, March, 1992)

Part 28: The Kingdom of Bellayne (Dragon #181, May, 1992)

Part 30: The Magocracy of Herath (Dragon #183, July, 1992)

Part 32: The Squamous Kingdoms (Dragon #185, September, 1992)

Part 33: The Land of Wallara (Dragon #186, October, 1992)

Part 35: The Land of Jibaru (Dragon #188, December, 1992)

He completed his update of the Savage Coast and beyond in a few additional "Known World Grimoire" articles:

The Kingdom of Nimmur (Dragon #192, April, 1993)

The Dark Jungle (Dragon #196, August, 1993)

The Kingdom of Eshu (Dragon #200, December, 1993)

 

Asked about his rationale, Heard explained:

I deliberately took liberties with the original settings.  In researching (Serpent Peninsula) and what obviously lay to the west (Hule and the Savage Coast), it quickly became clear that there was very little of interest there.  I didn’t think anyone would be particularly fascinated by thousands of miles of swamp, desert, and featureless plains with nobody around!  I made these changes in order to liven the place up, and so mercilessly grafted on geographical features and local cultures.  At this point, it would be safe to assume all these older modules took place at an earlier period in time.

Bruce Heard, Dragon #174 (October, 1991)

Conclusion:

Module X9 "The Savage Coast" provides an expansive canvas for the development of an epic campaign, rich in adventure and role-playing opportunities.

Slagovich: Gateway to Adventure

I've long considered Slagovich to be an ideal campaign home base.

PCs can begin their adventuring careers in the frontier city of Akesoli in the Lands and Environs of the D&D Wilderness (I've always liked the area north of there for B7 "Rahasia") and join a caravan across the Sind all the way to Slagovich (the caravan encounters, including the buried temple, from X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads" could be used).

Illustration from X6 "Quagmire!" depicting the port of Slagovich (note mountain range in the background)

Arriving in Slagovich, there are 12 adventure hooks to be had:

1. If the characters take their time wandering through the streets of Slagovich, they come across the following advertisement:

Wanted: Wild horses, mules, and camels.  Best prices paid.  100 gp for camels, 75 gp for horses, 50 gp for mules.  Bring roped animals to the agent of Bondee Slagomann at the corrals on the outskirts of town"

Module X6 "Quagmire!"

Bondee is a wealthy Slagovich merchant.  His daughter, Kazandra Slagomann, is later captured by the mermen of the Sunken City, and must be rescued.

Alternatively, Bondee could hire the characters to find out what happened to his daughter.  This might lead into a more natural hook for module X6 "Quagmire!".

The PCs learn that lizard men have been harassing the trading ships in the area around East Fang Cape, and that no one can recall the last time a ship arrived from Quagmire.

2. Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" on the Serpent Peninsula:

For several months, possibly even years, there have been reports of banditry in the jungles to the south.  Merchants carrying precious loads of rare goods from the jungle lands have been waylaid, their goods taken and their men captured or killed.  Even then, those who survived these raids had to face headhunters, brain fever, giant leeches, cannibals, and leopards.  Few men ever returned.  The stories they told were fantastic and addled, surely brought about by disease and the horrors with which they had to deal.  Singing snakes, twisted and deformed ape-men, men who were not men, and writhing, horrid flowers filled their tales-surely such things were not to be believed.  Nonetheless, something had destroyed the caravans.

Furthermore, none of the goods taken from the caravans has ever appeared in the markets of the north, at least as far as the merchants can tell.  Some were certainly identifiable - rare pieces of art, scrolls, books, and other items destined to fetch good prices in the kingdoms of the north.  It could only mean that someone or something was hoarding a great treasure in the jungle.  Prompted by this information, adventurers set out to find the bandits and gain their treasure.  Your party is one of these.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

Map of Serpent Peninsula from X6 Quagmire! (left) and Champions of Mystara (right) indicating the location of Onyo Maata, a suitable location for I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City

Four additional reasons for seeking the Forbidden City are given:

3. Revenge

A group of merchants has hired your party to stop the raiding (as explained in the module Background) permanently.  Characters must find and enter the city, determine who is responsible for the raids and destroy that person or group.  The characters must also ensure that no further raids occur.  This could be done by destroying all of the inhabitants, bribery, creating feuds, sealing all the ways in and out of the city, or any other plan the players might invent.  The merchants would no doubt like to have the goods they lost to the raids returned, so the DM might wish to create a very well-guarded storehouse of these items.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

4. Rescue

Many important people have been disappearing from the courts of nearby lands.  The people are being kidnaped by the Black Brotherhood (a secret group the DM must create) and given to the yuan ti for safekeeping.  The Brotherhood wants to help the yuan ti by weakening the power of the surrounding kingdoms.  First the characters must discover who is doing the kidnapping, and then trace the kidnappers to the yuan ti.  A group of the Black Brotherhood would be based in the city.  The prisoners would be hard to find, for they are scattered throughout the city.  Some might be easy to rescue, while others might be very difficult to rescue.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

5. Conquest

A local potentate (or other ruler) has declared that his ancestors were once the masters of the Forbidden City (although there is no proof to his claim).  He wants the adventurers to enter the city, scout it, and, if possible, clear it of all foul monsters.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

6. Defense

A courier carrying important information was recently attacked and robbed while crossing the jungle.  Found before he died, the courier told his rescuers of the theft.  Since his papers reveal the weaknesses and strengths of a nearby kingdom, the monarch of that land has offered a reward for the return of the documents.  At the same time, the rulers of several other lands have likewise offered rewards if the documents should just happen to reach their hands first.  However, once the characters reach the city, they will learn that an evil army is being assembled to attack all the surrounding lands.  To save themselves and others from slavery, the adventurers must try to prevent this attack from occurring.  The players must defeat or join other parties also after the stolen documents.  How they do it is left to the players and the DM.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

Map of Hule from module X5 "The Temple of Death" with recommended location for the city of Highport from A1 "Slave Pits of the Undercity" (left) and the Gulf of Hule (right) from "Adapting classic AD&D modules to a Mystara campaign" in Threshold: the Mystara Magazine #22

7. Modules A1-4 "Against the Slavers" in the nearby Gulf of Hule:

It is time to put a stop to the marauders!  For years the coastal towns have been burned and looted by the forces of evil.  You and your fellow adventurers have been recruited to root out and destroy the source of these raids.  But beware, hundreds of good men and women have been taken by the slavers and have never been seen or heard from again!

Module A1 "Slave Pits of the Undercity"

The four adventure hooks from module X9 "The Savage Coast":

8. Gold Rush

There's gold...lot's of it...west of here.  It's supposed to be all along the coast of someplace called Orcs Head Peninsula.  An old seer told me it was there.  It's ours for the taking if we can get past the natives who live there.  He said the peninsula is a dangerous place, but if we're smart, we'd never want for anything again.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

9. Cartographers Guild

The Cartographers Guild of Slagovich has offered us a handsome reward for a more detailed map of the coastline areas of Orcs Head Peninsula.  If we agree to sail along the coast of the peninsula to map the lands of the area, they will give us 50,000 gp each, and they've already given us a map that shows the areas where hidden treasures might be found, and a map of a legendary lost city.  No adventurer has been able to find the treasures or the city yet.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

10. Rival Brotherhoods

The local clerics of the Brotherhood of Light are looking for a few good adventurers to discover the whereabouts and the activities of their rivals, the Lawful Brotherhood.  They believe the Lawful Brotherhood is engaged in some exploitive pursuits, and are becoming too powerful.  They have noticed ships in the harbor that fly the Lawful Brotherhood flag, but they have not been able to determine the Brotherhood's business here.  The ships come and go only at night—a good indication that something is not right.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

11. Merchant Company

The Pure Gold Merchant Company is searching for a party of adventurers with a ship.  Rumors of gold along Orcs Head Peninsula have caused a panic among the owners of the company.  Their ships are all on other expeditions—they have no time to wait for their return.  If there is gold to the west, they want it first, and are willing to pay for it.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

Site of the lost city of Risilvar in the Forbidden Highlands of Orc's Head Peninsula, from module X9 "The Savage Coast", a fitting location for the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (left).  Illustration by Jeff Dee (right).

12. Finally, there could be rumours regarding module C1 "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan"

Notes:

Originally posted on Dragonsfoot (September 8, 2018)

See also  "The Voyage of the Princess Ark (Part 17): The Slagovich affair" by Bruce Heard, in Dragon #171 (July, 1991)

X6: Quagmire!

X6 "Quagmire!" (1984) by Merle M. Rasmussen is a D&D wilderness adventure for character levels 4-10, detailing the Wild Lands to the west of the Sea of Dread.

Module X6 "Quagmire!" (1984) by Merle M. Rasmussen.  Cover illustration by Steve Peregrine.

The Adventure:

I posted a review of this module on Dragonsfoot, back in 2010.

While a fascinating map to explore, the main flaw in the adventure is one of size and scope.  X1 "The Isle of Dread" works better as a hexcrawl, since the island is manageable in size (with 6 mile hexes) as opposed to "The Wild Lands" in "Quagmire!" (with 24 mile hexes).

The encounter density becomes too sparse to maintain dramatic tension.  Weeks and weeks go by, as opposed to the day by day exploration involved in module X1, the party moving 1-2 instead of 4-8 hexes per day, which negatively impacts pacing.

For this reason, the rescue of the citizens of Quagmire really works best as a side quest for a larger campaign set in the Wild Lands.  The PCs should find Molariah's message* in a bottle while already exploring Serpent Peninsula.

*complete with labels on the roughly sketched map, as in Rasmussen's original version, omitted in the published version

The Calendar:

A table indicating the percentage chance of gales and hurricanes uses the months of our own calendar.  This did not seem out of place, back in the day, since Tolkien did the same.

Design Origins:

The origins of module X6 "Quagmire!" are described in detail in "Quagmire!  The Making of a 1980's D&D Module" (December 29, 2014) by Jon Peterson.

Side view of spiral city.  Illustration by Merle M. Rasmussen.

Rasmussen originally submitted two one-page briefs as ideas for D&D Expert modules.  The first was titled "Frozen Burial Mounds of the Southmarch" and the second "Quagmire of the Swamp King":

Characters must cross a bog having a surface that yields with each step* past slimy creatures half burrowed in the muck to reach the highground of the Swamp King.  He is searching for only the best adventurers to chart his kingdom so safe navigation by ship can occur.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (July 23, 1982)

*the Lagoon Lowlands on Serpent Peninsula are later described as "(a) marshy bog (that) gives with each footstep."

The initial brief for "Quagmire" was approved and expanded upon:

D&D characters must cross a fog-covered bog past slimy creatures half burrowed in the muck to reach the last highground of the benevolent but dying Swamp King.  His plague-ravaged sinking kingdom will soon be gone forever and his surviving followers will perish.  Characters must rescue the kingdom's people from their overcrowded rock by finding a safe land or sea route to civilization.  Monsters and natural hazards abound threatening to destroy the characters and the kind survivors of the swamp.  The swamp king offers only precious herbs and stones in payment for his people's safe passage to new higher ground.  When the moon rises again the rock of the Swamp King will sink into oblivion.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (April 22, 1983)

Compare to the final plot outline, with its intriguing mention of ancient roads connecting the various cities (a detail omitted in the published module):

A party of 4th to 10th level adventurers receive an urgent plea for help from Quagmire, an ancient trading port, now sinking into the sea.  The party starts out from Slagovich, Specularum, or the Isle of Dread to reach the exotic locale.  Along the way, the party will have many encounters, some relating to the mission, and others that simply add excitement to the adventure.

When the party reaches Quagmire they find the city under siege by creatures from the surrounding swamp.  Once inside the spiraling city, the party is told that the city's survivors want to be escorted to the legendary city of Thanopolis.  Thanopolis supposedly lies on the southwest side of the island of Thanegia.  An ancient overgrown road is rumored to run from Quagmire to Thanegia but no one has dared to travel the road in decades.

Thanopolis exists but is infected with swamp and jungle denizens.  Within the legendary city, a duplicate of Quagmire, is a map to a third sister city.  Another ancient road leads into the sea.  Adventurers can try to find the third city if they choose but it sank centuries ago and is now a city for mermen.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (January 4, 1984)

Serpent Peninsula:

The general weather patterns of this part of the world move from east to west.  Tbe world’s equator lies just south of Thanegia Island.  The climate of this area is similar to that of Florida or Cuba.

Quagmire (1984)

I've written previously that Serpent Peninsula is an excellent location for module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (1981) by David Cook.

Map of Serpent Peninsula from X6 "Quagmire!" indicating a suitable location for I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (adapted from this map, by Thorfinn Tait)

I've shared my ideas for a X6/I1 Quagmire/Dwellers of the Forbidden City mash-up, including BECMI stats for bullywugs, mongrelmen, tasloi, and yuan ti.

*see also "Jungle Fever" in The Dragon #31 (November, 1979) and "The Voyage of the Princess Ark (Part 17): The Serpent Peninsula revisited" by Bruce Heard, in Dragon #170 (June, 1991)

Shallow Sea:

Legends speak of the Yavdlom, an early race of man that lived here in harmony with the island's natural beauty.  At that time, several different forms of life were said to have filled the island.  The legends also say, however, that some unknown force eventually decimated the island's life forms, and the Yavdlom apparently moved on to other lands.  The unknown force was actually the slow sinking of the land that now makes up the floor of the Shallow Sea.

Quagmire (1984)

According to the "Champions of Mystara" (1993) boxed set, earthquakes changed the geography of the Serpent Peninsula in 1750 BC, forming the Shallow Sea.

The water level rose progressively higher each year, forming the Lagoon Lowlands, resulting from a gradual sinking of the land, triggered by the earthquakes.

"After nearly a century", the Serpent Peninsula stabilized into its current shape and size, although another earthquake in 500 BC triggered a subsequent gradual phase of sinking.

In speaking with Rasmussen at Gary Con last month, he shared with me that his idea for the slow sinking of the land was in fact inspired by news reports of sinkholes.*

*see The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic

New Monsters:

Fish, Giant (Piranha, Catfish);* Grab Grass;** Killer Trees;** Piranha Bird;*** Pocket Dragon;**** Spider, Giant Hunting****

*appeared in Cook/Marsh Expert, but omitted from Mentzer Expert
**appeared in X2 "Castle Amber"
***appeared in B5 "Horror on the Hill"
****appeared in M2 "Maze of the Riddling Minotaur"

Champions of Mystara:

Champions of Mystara, Explorer's Manual (1993) by Ann Dupuis and Bruce  Heard.  Cover illustration by Fred Fields, from Dragon #142 (February, 1989)

The "Champions of Mystara" boxed set (1993) by Ann Dupuis, based on the "Princess Ark" articles by Bruce Heard, provides updated, Gazetteer-era versions of Serpent Peninsula and Thanegia Island, retconning the original module into the distant past:

If you wish to play the Quagmire! module in its entirety, you should set the adventure in the year 425 BC, while the People of Yav were exiled to the Immortals' Arm.  This works well with a one-shot mini-campaign (with characters you won't be using in your normal campaign) or as a time-traveling side trek for the normal group of player characters.

Champions of Mystara, Explorer's Manual (1993)

The Explorer's Manual includes updated lists of possible encounters for each of the different regions, as discussed in this post on Dragonsfoot.

Conclusion:

Module X6 "Quagmire!" works better as a mini-gazetteer than an adventure module, providing a rich environment with endless potential for expansion.

Threshold

When I wrote the D&D Classic series in the 1980s (aka BECMI), I needed to specify a 'starting point' for a campaign.  Thus was born the town of 'Threshold', created out of whole cloth to serve that purpose.  Others have developed it into a wonderful place, rich and vibrant.  (I had nothing to do with that development, hat tip to others.)

Frank Mentzer, Facebook (Feb 12, 2020)

Threshold; 1 hex = 500 feet (revised to 1 inch = 500 feet in GAZ 1), from the D&D Expert Rulebook (1983)

Mentzer explained the rationale behind his choice for a name in this post on Dragonsfoot in July, 2008, (defined as "any place or point of entering or beginning")*

*also used as the name for the Mystara fanzine

From the Expert rulebook (pg. 38):

This, the Home Town of most PCs, is a thriving frontier village of 400 permanent residents plus over 100 other regular visitors.  The main business of Threshold is to supply timber to the Capital.

Commerce (pg. 38-9): 

The following items are shipped by boat from Threshold to Specularum: Armor (leather and shields only); Craft products (pottery, baskets, wooden items, etc.); Food (grains, fruits, etc.); Furs; Herbs, including wolfsbane; Honey and Wax; Ice from the mountains; Magic items and Monster parts found by adventurers; Ores (a small local business); and crude weapons.

The following items are shipped by boat from Specularum to Threshold: Trained animals (including all warhorses); Armor and weapons; Exotic cloths (silk, velvet, etc.): from city trade; Exotic trinkets (imported from other countries); Foods (such as seafish); Glassware; Medicines; various Metal goods (lock mechanisms, pots & pans, spoons, hardware, etc.); Metals not found locally (tin, copper, etc.); News; Oil (whale, olive, and others); Parchments and inks; Potions (though rarely); Salt (bagged or in blocks); Spices; Steel Tools; Wine and Ale; and visitors, traveling entertainers, and occasional government officials. 

Travel from Threshold (pg. 39):

One trail follows the river, leading southeast to Kelven.  The trade route between Specularum and Selenica passes through Kelven; the well-worn riverside trail leads south (through Krakatos) and north (to the small mountain outpost of Highdell, at the river’s beginnings). 

A rarely followed trail leads east from town, winding into the hills (leading to the gnomish mines). No trails lead north or west.

Map of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, from the D&D Expert Rulebook (1983).  The villages of Threshold and Kelven were added, as well as several trails/trade routes not appearing in the earlier version of the D&D Expert Rulebook (1981) 

The BECMI version of Karameikos could potentially coexist within the B/X version, since villages were not indicated on the map in the 1981 rulebook, (Luln was designated as a town, whereas Threshold and Kelven are both indicated as villages).*

*notwithstanding the similar populations of Luln and Threshold (both 500)

However, a human frontier town so deep in the wilderness has major implications for the setting.  The BECMI version of the Grand Duchy could alternately represent Karameikos a generation later, with human civilization having made significant inroads.

Night's Dark Terror:

Illustration by Helen Bedford, from module B10 "Night's Dark Terror" (1986)

Module B10 "Night's Dark Terror" (1986) by Jim Bambra, Graeme Morris, and Phil Gallagher expanded upon the Sample Wilderness and Home Town section in the D&D Expert Rulebook (1983) to create a more fully realized vision of Karameikos and Threshold.

The map of Eastern Karameikos designates the trails/trade routes as either main roads (between Specularum and Selenica) or minor roads (from Threshold to Kelven) and also indicates the rarely followed trail into the hills east of town as a path.

The 6-page section on the town of Threshold presents a grittier feel, in comparison to the writeup in the D&D Expert Rulebook.  Information on the Clerical Court, the Town Guard, various Taverns/Inns, and Fogor Isle is included, as well as a table of optional events.

The Keep at Koralgesh

"The Keep at Koralgesh" is a 20-page Basic D&D adventure by Robert B. Giacomozzi and Jonathan H. Simmons, published in Dungeon #2 (November/December, 1986).

Cover illustration used for Dungeon #2 (Nov/Dec, 1986), depicting the fall of Koralgesh, also used as the cover illustration for DA4 "The Duchy of Ten" (1987)

The scenario features a four level dungeon, suitable for a party of beginning PCs, beneath the keep and ruined seaport of Koralgesh.

This is another Basic D&D adventure that I ran for my son and his friends, years ago.  I wrote a review on Dragonsfoot, back in 2017 (linked, here).

About the Authors:

Robert Giacomozzi and Jonathan Simmons are teachers for talented and gifted children in Killeen, Texas (their students introduced them to fantasy gaming).  Both of them enjoy a variety of fishing and hunting sports, both read SF and fantasy stories, and both collect miniature figures.  Robert is married and has two kids, two dogs, and two pythons; Jonathan has only one dog aptly named Goblin.

Dungeon #2 (November/December, 1986)

Location:

A possible location on the west coast of Brun was discussed in this thread on the Piazza, back in 2009.  Unfortunately, this is quite far out of the way.

An alternate location in the Kingdom of Ierendi was discussed, here.

Replica maps of Ierendi from Gaz 4 "The Kingdom of Ierendi" (top) and X1 "The Isle of Dread" (bottom) from the Atlas of Mystara (here and here), with Koralgesh in the location of Port Siers 

The authors appear to have been inspired by the fate of Pompeii in envisioning Koralgesh, which suggests a particular location on Ierendi island:.

...Ierendi's people live in the shadow of our great fire mountains.  From time to time these old and generous friends turn violent and cruel, spouting molten rock and poisonous gases upon the people of Ierendi.  Rivers of fire flow across the once-lush-and-green land, leaving nothing but a blackened wasteland of cinder and ash.  A tragic example: in 786 the entire population of Port Siers - over 1, 000 people - was killed in less than an hour by a cloud of burning ash that descended Mount Haumea and washed over the sleeping town like the Black Legions of Death.

GAZ 4 "The Kingdom of Ierendi" (1987) by Anne Gray McCready

New Monsters:

The tyrannabys, illustration by Mark Nelson.

Two original creatures, the Lovecraftian tyrannabys (a slimy, tentacled, aquatic creature), and the enigmatic epadrazzil (a conjured guardian from a 2-dimensional plane), are described.

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...)

B6: The Veiled Society

B6 "The Veiled Society" (1984) by David Cook is a plot-driven, city-based adventure for character levels 1-3, set within Specularum, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.

Module B6 "The Veiled Society" (1984) by David Cook.  Cover illustration by Steve Chappell.

The adventure is a good way to introduce characters to Specularum, and serves as a handy sequel to "The Haunted Keep".

The PCs arrive during the Procession of Lucor:

...a religious celebration honoring a legendary local cleric named Lucor.*  It winds through the streets of the city to the harbor, where the statue of Lucor is floated out to sea.  Each year a woman of notable rank and importance leads the procession.

The Veiled Society

*the term "lucor" might be Latin for "brilliance" (denoting a Lawful saint), but alternately Middle English for avarice (possibly a play on words by Cook...)

Paper building with 25 mm miniatures, from this review. 

The adventure makes use of paper sculptures of houses and walls, created by Dennis Kauth, as well as paper miniatures, illustrated by Jim Roslof.

Paper miniatures, illustrated by Jim Roslof.

Basically, Jim Roslof, who did all the art in the module, drew these in black and white.  PMTs -- high resolution photo-mechanical reproductions -- were made, which Roslof colored using inks.

The colored PMTs were pasted to a board, which was then photographed to create the color separations used in printing the final product.  (At 1/3 the size.)  Players would cut out the minis and use them at the gaming table. 

posted by Brian Stillman on Facebook May 31, 2016

A small hexmap of the area surrounding the city of Specularum is included, demonstrating its relation to the river and adjacent Duke's Park:

Overview of the city of Specularum, from module B6 "The Veiled Society" (1984) by David Cook.

Walled on the landward side, Specularum is also protected by two breakwaters that extend into the harbor, restricting passage upriver.

Overlooking the harbor is the Duke's castle, providing ample defence:

More detailed map of the city of Specularum, from module B6 "The Veiled Society" (1984) by David Cook.

XSOLO "Lathan's Gold" (1984) by Merle M. Rassmussen begins in Specularum, and appears to use the map from B6 as a template.

(The map of Specularum was completely revised in GAZ 1 "The Grand Duchy of Karameikos" (1987) by Aaron Allston.)

I've run "The Veiled Society" twice, and once wrote up a brief epilogue to the adventure using material from GAZ 1, entitled "Law in Karameikos".

AC2: The Treasure of the Hideous One

"The Treasure of the Hideous One" by David Cook is a mini-adventure for character levels 4-7, set within the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.

A "treasure map".

Cook provides a glimpse of the earlier history of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos in the background:

The expedition was undertaken 100 years ago by Colonel Rosentos.  The colonel led a troop of 200 soldiers, most of whom were on foot.  Duke Stefan the Hermit ordered Rosentos and his troop to explore and claim the lands to the west.  At that time, the duke's lands were very new.

The Treasure of the Hideous One

I used this information in my article "Karameikos: The Hidden Years" published in Threshold #1, to reconcile the adventure with material in GAZ 1 "The Grand Duchy of Karameikos".

The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (left) and suggested wilderness map for "The Treasure of the Hideous One" (right).

Location:

The adventure takes place in the northwestern part of the Grand Duchy, although the native villages seem out of place.*

*I wonder whether Cook used material originally intended for I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

The lagoon lowlands of Serpent Peninsula or swamps of Thanegia Island work as alternate locations in the Mystara setting.

New Monsters:

Cay-men, Giant Serpentweed

Those looking to expand the adventure should check out "Crypt of the Hideous One" by SkinnyOrc.

XL-1: Quest for the Heartstone

XL-1 "Quest for the Heartstone" (1984) by Michael L. Gray is a D&D adventure for character levels 5-10.  The module includes prerolled characters based on the AD&D action figures produced by LJN toys.

Module XL-1 "Quest for the Heartstone" (1984) by Michael L. Gray.  Cover illustration by Jeff Easley.

About the Author:

Michael Gray worked at TSR from 1981-84.  He designed the Fantasy Forest boardgame, and wrote two "Fantasy Forest" gamebooks, "Shadowcastle" (1983) and "The Lost Wizard" (1984).

In addition to module XL-1, Gray also contributed the adventure "Dargaard Keep" to DL 16 "World of Krynn" (1988) as a freelancer.

An interview with Gray about module XL-1 and the Kingdom of Ghyr was posted in Michael L. Gray's Kingdom of Ghyr on the Piazza, back in August, 2018.

Special Characters:

Many of the special characters previously described in AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" are included, with minor changes/errors:

Mercion - level 7 instead of 6, but referred to as "elder" (6th level) with same hp; Cha increased from 8 to 17
Figgen - same stats; AC does not include Dex adjustment

Peralay - different spells, likely those in spellbook, not spells memorized (missing sleep)

Elkhorn - same stats

Ringelrun - different spells, likely those in spellbook; staff of power got 7 more charges!
Strongheart - Int and Dex increased from 9 to 12; sword +2 "Purlblade" becomes intelligent with special/extraordinary powers

These six characters are also mentioned in X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985).

Zargarsh - Str increased from 5 to 8; gains a snake staff
Zarak - Str increased from 12 to 13, Con 7 to 16, (hp 15 to 27), although Cha decreased from 11 to 6; dagger +1 becomes throwing with magical returning (boomerang), gets potion of invisibility
Skylla - Wis increased from 8 to 15, Dex 9 to 11, Con 9 to 10
Kelek (different illustration) - same stats, although alignment changed from Neutral to Chaotic
Warduke - Con increased from 8 to 14, (same hp); properties of magical helmet described (infravision 60 feet, causes wearer's eyes to glow red)

*Fox Fingers the thief, and Raven the cleric from AC1 don't appear (Fox Fingers was exposed to the Heartstone, but Raven didn't participate in the quest)

New "good" characters include Molliver (lawful thief), Hawkler (good ranger), Deeth (good fighter), Bowmarc (good crusader), and Valkeer (good norseman).

New "evil" characters include Grimsword (evil knight), Zorgar (evil barbarian), and Drex (evil warrior).

The Heartstone:

The Heartstone.  Illustration by Jeff Easley.

Character bios in AC1 describe the Heartstone as "a magical gem that brings out hidden things about a person":

The Heartstone brought out even more of Mercion's good, but uncovered the evil in the others.

(Peralay) and Zargash were friends, and found the Heartstone, which brought out Zargash's evil nature and Peralay's lawful nature.

Elkhorn joined in the search for the Heartstone, and seems unchanged by it, perhaps because of his dwarven abilities, or perhaps because dwarves are immune to the stone.

Long ago, Ringlerun and Kellek were adventuring and discovered the massive Heartstone that changed Kellek into an evil man, bringing out his hidden flaws, and purified Ringlerun, making him wise and more just.

Strongheart, aided by Peralay and Ringlerun, escaped unharmed, but Warduke and his friends became twisted and evil.

When exposed to the Heartstone, Fox Fingers began to hate everyone who knew he was a thief.

(Zargash) hates the Heartstone and Ringlerun for bringing out his dark nature.

Zarak now hates Peralay, though he was once Peralay's friend: when the two of them were exposed to the rays of the Heartstone, Zarak's cruel and evil nature was brought out while Peralay's good nature was brought out.

Once (Skylla) was a student of Ringlerun's, but when she was exposed to the Heartstone, she began to seek out the evil, harmful side of magic.

from AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" (1983)

From these descriptions, it sounds as though the Heartstone can change or enhance a character's alignment (details are provided in the climax to the adventure).

The Kingdom of Ghyr:

Cover to the unofficial Ghyr fan gazetteer (2006).  Illustration by Jeffrey Kosh.

For a comprehensive fan expansion of the Kingdom of Ghyr, see Gaz F4 "The Hidden Treasure of Ghyr" (2006)* by JTR.

*additional material on Ghyr can be found on the Vaults of Pandius, here.

See also Gaz F5 "The Western Alliance" (2006)** by JTR

**map and alternate cover by Jeffrey Kosh

AC1: The Shady Dragon Inn

AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" (1983) by Carl Smith contains a roster of ready-to-use NPCs, along with a fold-out map of the Shady Dragon Inn, the first in the "AC" line of D&D game accessories (some of which are also suitable for use with AD&D).

Title page to "The Shady Dragon Inn" (1983) by Carl Smith

About the Author:

Carl Smith was a game designer at TSR in the early 1980s.

He also wrote N2 "The Forest Oracle" (1984), and "Guardians of the Tomb" in Dungeon #1 (Sept/Oct 1986), in which the following mini-bio appears:

Though his true love lies in Westerns, Carl Smith has been active in fantasy and science-fiction gaming for years.  He was a part of the DRAGONLANCE design team for TSR, Inc, and worked on CA1, Swords of the Undercity, an AD&D module set in the LANKHMAR universe.  He is currently a freelance writer and contributing editor for Model Retailer magazine.

Dungeon #1 (Sept/Oct 1986)

Smith wrote "Tin Star: Western Role-Playing and Miniatures Rules" (1980) published by Adversary Games, Jacksonville, Florida.

Design Origins:

Years ago, I asked Frank Mentzer on Dragonsfoot:

Where the heck did Carl Smith get all those NPCs to populate AC1 The Shady Dragon Inn? I've always wondered if they were from an old OD&D campaign of his, since the Dex and Con scores are reversed throughout.

There are a lot of tantalizing place names scattered here and there. Do you know if these were from an actual campaign or were they just pulled out of the air?

posted on Dragonsfoot, (October 7, 2009)

To which Frank replied "Thin air" (Dragonsfoot, November 17, 2009).

Smith definitely had a knack for names, and the mini-bios are gems.

A few years ago, a list of place names from AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" was posted on Dragonsfoot:

Clear Water, Sternmont, Glenroe, Black Coast, Stonehill, West Haven, Abbey Temaraire, Whitemount, Far Isle, Greendale, Wildwood, and Deep Hollow.

posted on Dragonsfoot, (January 27, 2018)

The feel is very similar to that present in N2 "The Forest Oracle".

Characters:

As mentioned above, ability scores are listed as Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity, and Charisma, which is the order used in OD&D and Holmes Basic.

Many characters are described to possess helmets, an item from the equipment list in OD&D and Holmes Basic (as well as AD&D) but not in B/X or BECMI.

Levels range from 1-14, as the D&D Companion Set would not be released until the following year.  However, it appears that various editions of the Expert Set rules were used.*

*see Which BECMI D&D Expert Rulebook do you have? posted on Wayne's Books, (October 28, 2019) for a comparison of the two versions

Saving throws are listed as per the 1983 revised/2nd edition Expert Set rules edited by Mentzer, but THACO progression is taken from the 1981 Cook/March edition.

Spell progression for clerics is taken from BECMI (the same in both versions), although spell progression for magic-users and elves are listed as per B/X.

Finally, thief skill progression is taken from the 1981 Cook/Marsh edition or 1st printing of the 1983 Expert Set rules (before thieves got "nerfed").

What to make of all this?

Perhaps Smith devised stats as per OD&D/Holmes, wrote a first draft using B/X, and someone updated saving throws and clerical spells using the 1983 revised Expert Set rules.

Special Characters;

From left to right: Zarak the evil half-orc, Raven the cleric, Kelek the evil sorcerer, Zargash the cleric, Skylla the evil magic-user, Fox Fingers the thief, and Warduke the evil fighter.  Artwork by Timothy Truman, Jeff Easley, and Larry Elmore

Although it's stated that all the characters in this section have figures in the D&D/AD&D toy line, Figgen the halfling, Raven the cleric, Zargash the cleric, Skylla the evil magic-user* and Fox Fingers the thief** were never produced.

*not counting the Skylla "bendy" toy

**the illustration for Fox Fingers is from the 1983 D&D Basic Set Players Manual (pg. 43)

The illustration used for Skylla is that of Charmay, a good enchantress (the character description for Skylla states that she has "silvery dark hair" and "always wears her golden demon headress and her golden demon girdle" and "carries a magical staff").

Some of the special characters in AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" appeared in Season 1 of the Dungeons & Dragons animated TV series:

Kelek appeared in episode 4 "Valley of the Unicorns" (October 8, 1983), Warduke appeared in episode 5 "In Search of the Dungeon Master" (October 15, 1983), and Strongheart appeared in episode 8 "Servant of Evil" (November 5, 1983).

Most of the special characters also appear in module XL-1 "Quest for the Heartstone" (1984) by Michael L. Gray, except for Raven the cleric and Fox Fingers the thief.

Mercion the cleric, Figgen the halfling, Peralay the elf,* Elkhorn the dwarf,** Ringlerun the magic-user,*** and Strongheart the fighter**** make cameo appearances as elderly, retired adventurers in module X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985) by Michael S. Dobson.

*originally named "Melf", after Luke Gygax's player character

**possibly inspired by the nearby Elkhorn, Wisconsin

***featured on the "orange spine" AD&D 1e Players Handbook

****rides Destrier, a nihrain horse

Warduke***** appeared on the cover of Dungeon #105 (December, 2003), wherein the character was brought into Greyhawk lore and underwent a 3e update, in "Critical Threats".

*****name and character design a dark take on Mike Grell's "Warlord"

Finally, many of the special characters recently appeared in the "The Wild Beyond the Witchlight" adventure module for 5e:

The League of Malevolence: Kelek, Skylla, Warduke, Zarak, Zargash

Valor's Call: Elkhorn, Mercion, Molliver,* Ringelrun, Strongheart

*introduced in XL-1 "The Quest for the Heartstone"

The Shady Dragon Tavern:

The Shady Dragon Tavern is where all the members of the Adventurer's Guild meet. Members of the Guild gather here to swap yams, chat with old friends, or make contacts for the next adventure.  All classes and levels of members mingle freely, from novices to experts, and from fighters to halflings.

The Shady Dragon Inn (1983)

"The Shady Dragon Inn" by Carl Smith, from Polyhedron #16 (Jan/Feb, 1984).

A two-page article appearing in Polyhedron #16 describes the staff of the Shady Dragon Inn, along with a more complete description of the Inn itself.

Floorplan of the Shady Dragon Tavern, from Polyhedron #16 (Jan/Feb, 1984).

The original map is in 25 mm scale.*

*see also The Shady Dragon Inn (Dungeondraft Timelapse)

Quagmire!

The prerolled characters in module X6 "Quagmire!" (1984) by Merle M. Rasmussen are taken from AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn", with minor modifications.*

*Magnus the Mage loses 3 hp and gains a sleep spell, Hugi Tunneltrue and Idris Darkelf change alignment from Chaotic to Neutral, and the latter gains a floating disc spell

Tower of Doom:

There's a Shady Dragon Inn located in the town of Nemiston in the Republic of Darokin, in the "Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom" video game (1994) by Capcom.

Credits:

Design: Carl Smith
Editing: Michael Williams
Product Design: Ray Silbersdorf
Art: James Holloway et al
Cover Art: Larry Day