tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post832148756450826744..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: The Keep on the BorderlandsJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-52739794194225913332009-03-18T19:32:00.000-04:002009-03-18T19:32:00.000-04:00I have to admit, i ahve never played B2, or even s...I have to admit, i ahve never played B2, or even seen an English copy. My girlfriend recently purchased a Japanese translation, though (28 pages, as it goes), and hopefully she will eventually be persuaded to run it for us. :DAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05646247954542936623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64952209997224268552009-03-05T09:47:00.000-05:002009-03-05T09:47:00.000-05:00The back cover is Otus.(slap my own forhead) Doh!<I>The back cover is Otus.</I><BR/>(slap my own forhead) Doh!Stefan Poaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192911890556534923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-19698934978355945402009-03-05T09:22:00.000-05:002009-03-05T09:22:00.000-05:00My own copy of B2 has fallen apart from reading an...My own copy of B2 has fallen apart from reading and re-reading over the years. The fact that it gives us a setting and a conflict of ultimately epic dimension all in a few pages is part of what appeals to me, and Gary's brief explanation of the Realm of Man, hemmed in on all sides by Chaos, has always been an inspiration to me.<BR/><BR/>I wonder, James, if some of your reticence about this module would have been cleared had it been reversed in order with B1. That is to say, <I>Keep</I> would have provided a simple world, some practical advise, and a structured module for the beginning DM, and then <I>Search</I> would have provided the next step in the referee's training by providing a dungeon that the DM would have a hand in populating.<BR/><BR/>Shalom.Michael Bugghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12196330988164511595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46521223472532880402009-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:002009-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:00I can't think of a better intro module than B2 for...I can't think of a better intro module than B2 for both new players and a new DM. I started with it (after using the sample dungeon in the Holmes blue book) and I think it perfectly captured the mood of the game. It certainly hooked me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-51280948922929454842009-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:002009-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:00I think of Borderlands as more then just a module,...I think of Borderlands as more then just a module, I think of it as a right of passage! I know it may sound snobbish or elitist of me to say, but I consider younger D&D fans to be complete virgins, until they popped their gamer carry with the good ol' Borderlands, or had sipped bravely from the magic pools of B1!Malcadonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-41696357524158758562009-03-05T05:07:00.000-05:002009-03-05T05:07:00.000-05:00I like B2 a lot, but it actually feels *very* diff...I like B2 a lot, but it actually feels *very* different from the rest of the B-series line. Kind of a different setting; less about Exploration and much more about Law vs Chaos. Kinda Moorcock/Anderson. I suspect it informed GW's Warhammer line. <BR/><BR/>My current 3e campaign leans heavily on the pre-Karameikos Basic modules, but I had to leave out B2, it just didn't fit the way B4, B5 and B7 did, or B1 and B3 would.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-45867270326633875542009-03-05T00:40:00.000-05:002009-03-05T00:40:00.000-05:00@Jeff: I think it's because the linear dungeon bec...@Jeff: I think it's because the linear dungeon became so popular. The first thing I do when prepping most post-1982 dungeon modules is to open them up.Justin Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02227895898395353754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69225990313173953702009-03-04T22:03:00.000-05:002009-03-04T22:03:00.000-05:00In hindsight I am surprised that so few modules at...In hindsight I am surprised that so few modules attempted the multiple entrances structure of the <I>Caves of Chaos</I>.Jeff Rientshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-82752205281835365952009-03-04T18:45:00.000-05:002009-03-04T18:45:00.000-05:00The back cover is Otus.The back cover is Otus.Adam Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06368676086759298705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-75180765898265689032009-03-04T18:29:00.000-05:002009-03-04T18:29:00.000-05:00The cover is indeed by Jim Roslof.Man, I can't tel...<I>The cover is indeed by Jim Roslof.</I><BR/><BR/>Man, I can't tell you how many times I've mistaken one for the other. In fact, I was convinced at one point that EO did the art for the Dungeon! board game. <BR/><BR/>I think it's because they both have a similar sort of psychedelic style, but there are enough differences as to be uniquely each their own.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07997164906328234122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72540282614117757602009-03-04T18:17:00.000-05:002009-03-04T18:17:00.000-05:00I'm one of those who prefer B2 over T1. And I like...I'm one of those who prefer B2 over T1. And I like B1 better than any module other than Gary's D trilogy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50073106172803179822009-03-04T18:09:00.000-05:002009-03-04T18:09:00.000-05:00D'oh! Was posting at the last minute before runnin...D'oh! Was posting at the last minute before running to class. Mea culpa.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74662011983371332652009-03-04T17:02:00.000-05:002009-03-04T17:02:00.000-05:00The cover is indeed by Jim Roslof.The cover is indeed by Jim Roslof.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-24965338523333162392009-03-04T16:53:00.000-05:002009-03-04T16:53:00.000-05:00And, hey: Erol Otus cover art.Isn't that a pai...<I>And, hey: Erol Otus cover art.</I><BR/><BR/>Isn't that a painting by Roslof?<BR/><BR/>By the time B2 came out, I had already 'graduated' to AD&D (I cut my player adventuring teeth on B1 and mazes composed from the Monster & Treasure Assortments and geomorphs that came with early boxed sets). I still, to this day, use the sample characters in the back of B1 as NPCs --- Mohag the Wanderer, Eggo of the Holy Brotherhood, Trebellos, Glom the Mighty, etc. <BR/>When B2 came along, I was already deep into making my own adventures and looked down my beaky adolescent nose at 'prefab' adventures.<BR/>As a player I loved 'The Village of Hommlet' since it was the first town we ever adventured in that seemed 'real.' The bad thing was that after waiting and waiting, we never got T2. I made my own, based on hints in T1. The Elder Elemental God (in my version) was a 4 armed god who had the powers of fire, air, water and earth (which would probably add up to hot, windy mud).Stefan Poaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192911890556534923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-70312949082607151022009-03-04T16:40:00.000-05:002009-03-04T16:40:00.000-05:00It was also in the Holmes boxed basic set (Edition...<I>It was also in the Holmes boxed basic set (Editions 6/7 in 1979, per Acaeum).</I><BR/><BR/>That's true, although my copy of Holmes came with B1.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72764592316378288462009-03-04T16:39:00.000-05:002009-03-04T16:39:00.000-05:00I'm surprised you hadn't done a B2 retrospective u...<I>I'm surprised you hadn't done a B2 retrospective until now!</I><BR/><BR/>Me too!<BR/><BR/>I think it's mostly that, while I do like the module a lot, it's not one of my favorites, so it was never foremost in my mind when I planned out the retrospectives I'd be writing.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90061586018912307422009-03-04T15:10:00.000-05:002009-03-04T15:10:00.000-05:00It was also in the Holmes boxed basic set (Edition...It was also in the Holmes boxed basic set (Editions 6/7 in 1979, per Acaeum).<BR/><BR/>And, hey: Erol Otus cover art.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-88331074032665870212009-03-04T14:36:00.000-05:002009-03-04T14:36:00.000-05:00There's no denying that there's something extraord...<I>There's no denying that there's something extraordinarily primal about The Keep on the Borderlands.</I><BR/><BR/>This. Hommlett may be more involved in it's intrigues, but that's not always a good thing. The Keep just is. Saddle up and ride out.<BR/><BR/>Plus, I too always found the Mad Hermit too appealing to leave alone. I think the last time I thought about him, I was making him the disgraced former High priest of Evil Chaos.Matthew Slepinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056247825064943944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-52252966471028820272009-03-04T14:31:00.000-05:002009-03-04T14:31:00.000-05:00When tasked with grabbing an adventure with next t...When tasked with grabbing an adventure with next to no notice in order to DM a game for some novices, B2 is perfect. It's the very first module I used as a DM, and it's the most recent one I used as well. <BR/><BR/>I'm surprised you hadn't done a B2 retrospective until now!<BR/><BR/>More than half of the sessions I ran using B2 took place entirely outside of the Caves of Chaos. I like that aspect of B2.Sham aka Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14329116400656617173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-41769762805685849002009-03-04T14:29:00.000-05:002009-03-04T14:29:00.000-05:00I'm glad to see you liked T1; I think it's...I'm glad to see you liked T1; I think it's one of the best modules written for any version of D&D, and I've used it as a gateway for not only fantasy campaigns but (modified) for science fiction games, too.<BR/><BR/>Borderlands has the distinction of being one of the few modules I've both played in and DM'd. From each angle I enjoyed it immensely, though the keep community struck me as too simplistic. It really does have that flavor of 40s and 50s fantasy literature however. I'm not sure why, but I think of Fletcher Pratt when I think of this module.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.com