Customer Reviews

Adventures in Blackmoor (Dungeons & Dragons Module DA1)

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I am in the process of completing my collection of classic modules and just received my used copy of DA1.

It's less of an adventure than a primer into Blackmoor culture and intrigue. That said, it's a very interesting read and well written. The many NPC characters really flesh out the world and provide for some good ideas for adventure.

DA1 is a very politically oriented module and reads almost like a George RR Martin novel. Well written and intriguing.

I recommend this to any classic D&D collectors.

This is probably the strangest, most completely unknown Greyhawk adventure ever made. Dave Arneson's legendary Blackmoor (the first D&D campaign, predating Greyhawk itself) is infamous as the dreaded lost land beyond the icy realm of Iuz. Here, its secrets are revealed as the heroes (levels 10-14) travel through time back to its vaunted golden age, when technology and magic brought unbelievable wonders to life, leading to the Cataclysm that ended it all thousands of years ago... oddly, TSR decided to uproot Blackmoor from the World of Greyhawk (1986 was when Gygax & Co. were in extremely ill favor), and shoved it into the world of Mystara. It works there, but this was truly intended as an adventure series for AD&D! Easily converted, and definitely worth the effort.

I will be very brief - of the hundreds of modules produced by TSR throughout the years, I have to think this is by far the best. It is a 64 page module with about 40 of the pages devoted to history, culture, and personalities of an entirely new kingdom. Highly recommended for those who wish an example of how to add more "role" and less "roll" to RPGs. Excellent background material and does a good job fleshing out characters. The adventure itself is somewhat limited but still very good - the adventure surrounds a hotel that has a gate leading many directions in time and the heroes must travel through the gate to a number of different times to help spoil a plot of intrigue foisted on the kingdom by an old enemy.

This module introduces a group of adventurers from the world of Mystara to the kingdom of Blackmoor. It can be easily adapted for any campaign setting. I used it to introduce a group of adventurers from Athas to Blackmoor. The adventure is a bit linear, but the NPCs have detailed, rich personalities. There are enough details on the kingdom of Blackmoor to not only run this adventure, but also to set up future adventures. The first part of the adventure takes you through the Comeback Inn at a time when it has seen thousands of years of neglect. Due of numerous enchantments, certain items have survived the countless centuries rather than facing inevitable deterioration. It's immensely satisfying to watch players sort through wardrobes hoping for treasure and finding only women's undergarments (and also vice versa). The second part of the adventure takes the players through a magic portal to the kingdom of Blackmoor. There they interact with various NPCs until they are given a quest which takes them back through the gate. In the third and final leg of the adventure, the PCs are able to dispatch the villains, save Blackmoor's king and either return to Blackmoor and become immensely wealthy or return to their own time and world.