B1 In Search of the Unknown

This was not the first module I ever played, but I am going to write about it first as I came across it first in a collection of old modules.

I remember thinking this module was not very good the first time I read it. I had already read quite a few basic modules by this point, and I felt like this one was incomplete. In essence, it was incomplete on purpose. It had a map and instructions on how you could populate the dungeon with monsters and encounters on your own.

I diligently went about making encounters and placing them in logical places. I think this process actually enlightened me on how bad some other modules really were. One of my favorite modules up to this point had been B4 The Lost City, but looking at it with a more logical eye, B4 The Lost City had really bizarre monster placement.

A good memory I have about this adventure is that two neighborhood girls came over once and wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons. One of them was somewhat tom boyish, but the other girl was pretty hip. So of course, it was the rather plain looking girl who "really" wanted to hang out with me. My dad made us all a giant stack of french fries and we sat around and had great fun playing through this adventure. I was probably 12 at the time. As a side note, the "pretty hip" girl ended up marrying a good friend of mine. We all still keep in touch.

Redux

Okay, so I flipped through the module again to see it through my older (and hopefully wiser) set of eyes.

Man, I had forgotten the dungeon was called "The Caverns of Quasqueton". What kind of name is Quasqueton? Sounds like an Aztec god. (Okay, I searched around and there is actually a small town in Iowa named Quasqueton!)

Later modules had a nice feature where "player only" room descriptions were separated into their own boxes. This was a handy feature as I recall, as it would give a visual clue as to what to read to the players. Sort of a moot point, as in my later days I would just wing descriptions anyhow and not be so strict about following the module.

There are a lot of little traps, and die rolls for accomplishing tasks, such as strength checks to bend bars. That is actually kind of refreshing, as my memories of other modules gave me the impression of one monster encounter after another, all strung together by some thin pretext (very thin).

It also comes with a players background sheet to give a short synopsis of what the players know about the area. It could save a lot of time if you handed it out to all the players a week before, or even at the beginning of playing. I have always been fond of giving maps, clues, and extra visual information to the players to help set the ambiance of Dungeons and Dragons.

I think this module holds up well. It eases a dungeon master into creating and fleshing out the environment. There is a certain school of thought that this style of dungeons and dragons is more in line with the roots of how the game should be played. James Maliszewski gives an interesting discussion on the the character names provided. Grognardia - The Characters of B1

Read a different take on this module by going to

Mark Bertenshaw's Review for In Search of the Unknown

James Maliszewski's Review for In search of the Unknwon