tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post9115195427625648742..comments2024-03-28T09:25:49.083-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: In Search of the UnknownJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2455202315530539162011-01-08T08:44:29.085-05:002011-01-08T08:44:29.085-05:00I've just posted the same question on a french...I've just posted the same question on a french blog, but may be you also have the answer : "In search of the Unknown" is also the title of a book by Robert W. Chambers (the same that wrote "The King in Yellow", which is rather well-known by Call of Cthulhu players).<br /><br />Is that merely a coincidence ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64611627669701559592009-05-13T07:52:00.000-04:002009-05-13T07:52:00.000-04:00B1 Was the first D&D module I ever played.I re...B1 Was the first D&D module I ever played.I remember the DM had created his own dungeon, utilizing the room descriptions from the module.It definately got the creative juices flowing. And the in depth room descriptions really brought the locales alive.No more excuses for empty 20x20 rooms. I found this module extremely inspiring.ATOMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11174747472998540913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1190576262607038112008-09-25T17:01:00.000-04:002008-09-25T17:01:00.000-04:00For what it's worth, I think that B1's first level...<I>For what it's worth, I think that B1's first level might be the single greatest dungeon map of all time.</I><BR/><BR/>I am inclined to agree with you. It really is an awesome map -- and one that I imitated over the years, sometimes subconcsiously.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-14393306433757852302008-09-25T14:14:00.000-04:002008-09-25T14:14:00.000-04:00Yeah, if you want to illustrate to someone the dif...Yeah, if you want to illustrate to someone the differences between "old school" design and "new school" design of adventures, there's not much better way of doing it than showing them the two different versions of B3.<BR/><BR/>For what it's worth, I think that B1's first level might be the single greatest dungeon map of all time.Chris Tichenorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866673632888599928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40428684927069544272008-09-25T07:48:00.000-04:002008-09-25T07:48:00.000-04:00To me, B3 was a turning point to decline of TSR, w...<I>To me, B3 was a turning point to decline of TSR, when they put political correctness over creative freedom.</I><BR/><BR/>It's hard to say. There are many conflicting stories about the exact reasons for why B3 was changed from its original version to the one that was published. I do agree that B3 marks a turning point in TSR's history and the history of the hobby.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-8839770308145426822008-09-25T07:46:00.001-04:002008-09-25T07:46:00.001-04:00Hmmm... Maybe I should publish something similar f...<I>Hmmm... Maybe I should publish something similar for C&C Basic... Now there's an idea...</I><BR/><BR/>I think this would be an awesome idea.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77599488531461680552008-09-25T07:46:00.000-04:002008-09-25T07:46:00.000-04:00Allan,I'd forgotten about WG5's set-up, which is o...Allan,<BR/><BR/>I'd forgotten about WG5's set-up, which is odd, because it's one of my favorite adventures. I am also given to understand that <I>Pharaoh</I> had a similar set-up, but I no longer own a copy, so I can't check it out for myself.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78887078469584316102008-09-24T15:53:00.000-04:002008-09-24T15:53:00.000-04:00The B line was made to help new players and new DM...The B line was made to help new players and new DMs alike. <I>In Search of the Unknown</I> was a really good do-it-yourself adventure that teaches players how to layout a dungeon. <I>Keep on the Borderlands</I> was a microcosm that teaches players about world building - what people now call "Point of Light." Unfortunately <I>Palace of the Silver Princess</I> did not follow the same instructional process as the first two lines. If felt more like a dolled-up mainstream adventure to bring in the girl-gamers - and even that display of gender diversity was thrown out the window with executive melding. To me, B3 was a turning point to decline of TSR, when they put political correctness over creative freedom. Otherwise, for a dolled-up girl's adventure, Jean Wells' version was not too bad, as she displayed a great deal of creativity (even if many people did not really like many of the unique monsters - I never really gave a rat's ass about public opinion ;) ).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28218653666768071282008-09-24T13:54:00.000-04:002008-09-24T13:54:00.000-04:00B1 was the very first module I bought; while I rem...B1 was the very first module I bought; while I remember little else about my early buying habits in gaming, I remember that after getting the Moldvay Basic Set for Christmas I first acquired the Expert Set, then module B1, then the DMG (all at Hallmark Cards & Books at Marquette Mall in Michigan City in quick succession), then my first issue of Dragon Magazine #57 at B&A Hobbies (mostly trains, but also had a small shelf of games).<BR/><BR/>I recall running B2 first, so was rather put out by B1 not being fully stocked; still I persevered, and to this day I can tell you what monsters and treasures I placed on the first level the first time I ran it... as I wrote my note in ink, of course!<BR/><BR/>Since then I've used it countless times, most recently about two years ago during the wonderfully wacky "Minions of Evil" campaign, a HackMaster game where the 1st level PCs were "redshirts" in the employ of the Black Eagle Baron in Karameikos. Good times...<BR/><BR/>Indeed, the first module for Top Secret was designed the same way (just checked my copy on the shelf), and looks like the map could even be readily adapted to D&D.<BR/><BR/>AFAIK, that was the only other module ever published in that "open ended stocking" fashion.<BR/><BR/>Hmmm... Maybe I should publish something similar for C&C Basic... Now there's an idea...James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10588233931813111541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40104403116029575152008-09-24T11:37:00.000-04:002008-09-24T11:37:00.000-04:00Kuntz's WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure did...Kuntz's <B>WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure</B> didn't have a ready-made listing of monsters and treasures like B1/B3, but it did feature many unkeyed rooms across its three levels, which encouraged a similar behavior (for me, at least :D ). <BR/><BR/>Allan.grodoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11800184312511280050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36542362102328485632008-09-24T09:40:00.000-04:002008-09-24T09:40:00.000-04:00There was another published module that followed t...There was another published module that followed the same format, but it was for TSR's <I>Top Secret</I>.<BR/><BR/>Assuming my memory isn't askew, <I>Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle</I>, the introductory module that came with the <I>Top Secret</I> boxed set was laid out the in the same way. Foes and "treasure" listed in the back with alphabetic codes to place within the adventure. Even had a list of pre-generated agents as well.Michael Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13217338828086458862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-88160240029055473542008-09-24T04:28:00.000-04:002008-09-24T04:28:00.000-04:00I played the original version of Silver Princess a...I <A HREF="http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2008-04-20_Palace_of_the_Silver_Princess" REL="nofollow">played the original version of Silver Princess</A> a few months ago using Labyrinth Lord rules. I clearly wasn't prepared for the design principles. I didn’t like the empty rooms I was supposed to fill with stuff because I had hoped to get a module ready to run "out of the box". Perhaps if none of the rooms had monsters & treasure I would have appreciated the point. I'll have to try again one of these days.Alex Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17104864340940538702noreply@blogger.com