Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) [Paperback]

John Rateliff (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; Silver Anniversary Edition edition (June 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786913274
• ISBN-13: 978-0786913275
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toadkiller Dawg says: Even Better the Second Time Around, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) (Paperback)

You'd think it would be a tall order, trying to improve on a classic like Keep on the Borderlands, that hoary introductory module that probably introduced the D&D game to more players than any other TSR product before or since. Most sequels suffer in comparison to the original, but happily that is not the case here.

The real strength of the old KOTB was that not only did it serve as a fertile seed from which a full-blown campaign could grow, it was also a terrific vehicle for introducing new players to the game and lots of fun even for experienced players starting out a new group of PCs. The new version loses none of that and also adds considerable text aimed at fledgling DMs that explains the various game mechanics, how to handle them in play and brief treatises on the monsters that will be encountered in the module. The advice and ideas presented are quite sound, even an experienced DM is likely to find a useful idea or three.

While the terrain and creatures are going to be familiar to anyone that played or DMed the original, Return is set several years later and there have been considerable changes, some obvious, others less so, since the first bands of adventurers ventured into the Caves of Chaos all those years ago. The new order of things is well-thought out and there will probably even be several amusing moments for veterans of the original adventure when they get to see the results of "their" handiwork through the eyes of their current crop of PCs.

Like the original, RKOTB is split into two main sections, the Keep itself and the adventuring area, the Caves of Chaos. The Keep is finely detailed with numerous NPCs, most of whom are fully described and who frequently have nifty secrets that the DM can employ as plot devices when desired. The Caves are likewise described in detail with useful notes on what the inhabitants do when the PCs arrive and the kind of steps that they will take after the PCs have shown up a time or two. Some of the lairs are similar to those in the original, others only look that way and some are completely different.

Overall, Return could easily provide fuel for many weeks if not months of campaigning as the PCs explore the various caves, get to know the inhabitants of the Keep and investigate the many and varied mysteries of the area. It doesn't matter whether you are introducing the D&D game to a group of neophytes or old hands that have been through the original KOTB a dozen times, they (and you) will still get a solid kick out of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands. Highly recommended.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent ! - with a few simple corrections., June 26, 2000

By 

"zagyg" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) (Paperback)

Extremely fun to play! I highly recommend this for experienced and novice player alike. "AD&D Silver Anniversary, Return to the Keep on the Borderlands Adventure", is a particularly well done rewrite of the classic original. The keep itself is described in plentiful detail, including numerous NPC descriptions. The area immediately surrounding the Keep is also well described with more than enough potential encounters to keep your players busy for quite some time. And the description of the Caves of Chaos, just a hop from the Keep, is very well written and an enjoyable read. This adventure module is certain to provide many sessions of fun and challenging play, and is definitely worth the money.

There are a few problems, however, which is why this only gets a 4 star review. First, the artwork dispersed amongst the text is pathetic. But that's a minor issue. More importantly, there are several inconsistencies that old Greyhawkers will surely notice. For instance, the location is not quite right, and the background for a few NPCs strongly conflicts with Greyhawk history. Additionally, a few of the potential encounters could easily wipe out a low level party, leaving all characters dead, or severely injured (missing limbs, etc.). Fortunately for you and me, some individuals were kind enough to publish "fixes" for the Return to the Keep on the Borderlands. The article is in an on-line journal called the Oerth Journal. It is a Greyhawk journal where DMs (and players, I suppose) write articles about Greyhawk. In the most recent issue, someone modified the new Keep on the Borderlands to make it a bit more survivable for low level characters, and to fit with actual Greyhawk canon material. No, it does not contain the complete module, that would be illegal, only suggested re-writes for a few paragraphs, and a great suggestion for more appropriate placement of the Keep in the World of Greyhawk.

The URL for the site is: http://members.xoom.com/cogh/ This is the Council of Greyhawk website. The Oerth Journal that has this article is OJ#11

With the corrections in this article this module would easily receive a 5 star rating, with out hesitation. As I stated, I strongly recommend you purchase this most excellent Adventure Module, sure to be enjoyable for months. And stop by the above mentioned web site to obtain the few fixes that will make this module truly outstanding!

Enjoy the Chaos!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more developed than original, August 23, 1999

By 

Donald Walker (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) (Paperback)

This module, "Return to the Keep", is very well developed. I have just run my first session in it and I am already having a great deal of fun with the NPCs in the module. There is so much going on at the Keep now, and in the caves. Perfect begining module for any DM. Begining DM's will benefit from the very helpful advice. Old pros will have many well developed plots to place their players in the middle of. Excellent module.