‘B2’ Series: BEX-1 Descent Into The Caves of the Unknown

The reputation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands and its influence on fantasy roleplaying is such that publishers keep returning to it. TSR, Inc. of course published the original as well as including it in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, which is where many gamers encountered it. The publisher would also revisit it with Return to the Keep on the Borderlands for its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the module would serve as the basis for Keep on the Borderlands, part of Wizards of the Coast’s ‘Encounters Program’ for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Yet since then, Wizards of the Coast has all but ignored B2 Keep on the Borderlands and the module that preceded it, B1 In Search of the Unknown, barring the publisher’s 2012 Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos: An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3. This was the playtest scenario for D&D Next, first seen in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, which was essentially previewing what would go on to become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition.

Instead, it would be other publishers who would revisit both scenarios in the twenty-first century. So Kenzer & Company first published B1 Quest for the Unknown, a version of B1 In Search of the Unknown for use with HackMaster, Fourth Edition, and would follow it up with not one, but two versions of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. First with B2 Little Keep on the Borderlands: An Introductory Module for Characters Level 1–4 in 2002, and then again in 2009 with Frandor’s Keep: An immersive setting for adventure. Another publisher to revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands was Chris Gonnerman, with JN1 The Chaotic Caves, a scenario written for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. In addition, Faster Monkey Games published its own homage to B1 In Search for the Unknown with The Hidden Serpent, whilst Pacesetter Games & Simulations has published a number of extra encounters and sequels for both scenarios, most notably B1 Legacy of the Unknown and B2.5 Blizzard on the Borderland.

Yet Wizards of the Coast did not ignore its extensive back catalogue. It would release numerous titles in PDF, and even allow Print on Demand reprints, including both B1 In Search of the Unknown and ;B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Further, in 2017, it published Tales from the Yawning Portal, a collection of scenarios that had originally been published for previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition, Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition, and even D&D Next. These scenarios though, did not include either B1 In Search of the Unknown or B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Which upon first glance seemed a strange omission, but then came the announcement from Goodman Games about Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands.

Arguably, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands would prove to be the ultimate version of the classic module, but authors have continued to revisit the original even since such as with the fanzine version from Swordfish Islands LLC, which so far consists of Beyond the Borderlands Issue #1 and Beyond the Borderlands Issue #2. Yet there remain oft forgotten visits to the famous ‘Keep on the Borderlands’ and the equally infamous, ‘Caves of Chaos’, which are worth examining and shining light upon. For example, ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ is a prequel to Return to the Keep of the Borderlands by Jeff Grub, but there have also been expansions to B2 Keep on the Borderlands. It is often forgotten that the infamous Caves of Chaos are not the only cavern system to be found in the region. Located in the unforested area between the Caves of Chaos and the eponymous keep are the Caves of the Unknown, mislabelled on the wilderness map as the ‘Cave of the Unknown’. This is mentioned twice in the module. Once on page 12 where it says, “The Caves of the Unknown area is left for you to use as a place to devise your own cavern complex or dungeon maze.” and then again, in location #51, in the ‘Shrine of Evil Chaos’, where a “Boulder Filled Passage” can lead to the Cave of the Unknown. Left up to the Dungeon Master to design and detail, one option has been to simply insert the Caverns of Quasqueton from B1 In Search of the Unknown and this was the option chosen for Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands. However, other designers have embraced Gygax’s advice in B2 Keep on the Borderlands and created their own dungeons to fill this spot. Perhaps the earliest was Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion, published by Usherwood Publishing in 2013, but RC Pinnell, who has a history of writing sequels to classic Dungeons & Dragons modules, would release his own version at about the same time as Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands was published.

BEX-1 Descent Into The Caves of the Unknown is designed for a party of between four and nine Third to Sixth Level Player Characters, and consequently intended to be played after the Player Characters have explored the Caves of Chaos. Published in 2018, it is written for use with editions of prior to Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition, and details a cave network of some twenty caves and connecting tunnels which is home to a tribe of Troglodytes. The tribe are refugees from a civil war taking place deeper into the earth and having found a new home in the caves led several raids on the Caves of Chaos above, feeding on the Humanoids they killed and captured until the leaders in the Caves of Chaos determined the source of attacks, invaded the Troglodyte caves, killed many of the tribes’ members, and then sealed the tunnel leading from the ‘Shrine of Evil Chaos’. In other words, the evil clergy practicing their vile faith in the ‘Shrine of Evil Chaos’ and pulling the Humanoids of the Caves of the Chaos into a rough alliance are also responsible for filling in the “Boulder Filled Passage”.

The Cave of the Unknown is much like the other Caves of Chaos home to the various Humanoid tribes. Although a natural cave system with no worked areas, there are guard posts, caves and chambers for the chief of the Troglodytes, his queen, his elite warriors, both teenage males and females, and so on. A supply cavern contains boxes and crates of items gained through and trade which are perfect for adding objects and items that could be stolen or missing and perhaps serve as a possible hook to explore the caverns. Some of the cave descriptions are far from interesting, but there are exceptions. The queen’s chamber is connected to a bubbling mud pool which is difficult to traverse and fight in and she also has a pack of Cave-Dogs, specially bred by the queen so that they have immunity to the infamous stench that Troglodytes excrete. However, this does mean that these Cave-Dogs lack the sense of smell they are typically known for.

Overall, locations and encounters such as with the queen are far and few between and in this, the description of the Caves of the Unknown feels very much in keeping with the Caves of Chaos of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. They are static, all but waiting for an incursion by the Player Characters. There are potential roleplaying hooks present, although they are not explicitly stated. The Player Characters could ally with Gothmog, the Troglodyte chief, in taking his revenge on the clergy in the Shrine of Evil Chaos and their allies and the queen could be turned against Gothmog. There is also the fact that the Troglodytes are trading with someone deeper into the earth. It is not stated who, but that could easily be linked to another scenario—perhaps in the mode of G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief and its sequels. In any of these cases, the Player Characters will need to be more circumspect in their approach to investigating the Cave of the Unknown rather than simply slaughtering everything before them. If they do take that approach, they do face some tough opponents and a good number of them, but if they are successful, then there is plenty of treasure to be found. 

Physically, BEX-1 Descent Into The Caves of the Unknown is plain. The map nicely apes the style of B2 Keep on the Borderlands right down to the blue background.

BEX-1 Descent Into The Caves of the Unknown feels as if it could be something more and as if it could be more interesting. The Dungeon Master will need to work hard to bring the back story to the Troglodyte presence in the Caves of the Unknown into play and involve the Player Characters, thus turning the adventure into more of a sidequest than the side note  it reads as written.

‘B2’ Series: Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion

The reputation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands and its influence on fantasy roleplaying is such that publishers keep returning to it. TSR, Inc. of course published the original as well as including it in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, which is where many gamers encountered it. The publisher would also revisit it with Return to the Keep on the Borderlands for its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the module would serve as the basis for Keep on the Borderlands, part of Wizards of the Coast’s ‘Encounters Program’ for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Yet since then, Wizards of the Coast has all but ignored B2 Keep on the Borderlands and the module that preceded it, B1 In Search of the Unknown, barring the publisher’s 2012 Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos: An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3. This was the playtest scenario for D&D Next, first seen in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, which was essentially previewing what would go on to become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition.

Instead, it would be other publishers who would revisit both scenarios in the twenty-first century. So Kenzer & Company first published B1 Quest for the Unknown, a version of B1 In Search of the Unknown for use with HackMaster, Fourth Edition, and would follow it up with not one, but two versions of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. First with B2 Little Keep on the Borderlands: An Introductory Module for Characters Level 1–4 in 2002, and then again in 2009 with Frandor’s Keep: An immersive setting for adventure. Another publisher to revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands was Chris Gonnerman, with JN1 The Chaotic Caves, a scenario written for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. In addition, Faster Monkey Games published its own homage to B1 In Search for the Unknown with The Hidden Serpent, whilst Pacesetter Games & Simulations has published a number of extra encounters and sequels for both scenarios, most notably B1 Legacy of the Unknown and B2.5 Blizzard on the Borderland.

Yet Wizards of the Coast did not ignore its extensive back catalogue. It would release numerous titles in PDF, and even allow Print on Demand reprints, including both B1 In Search of the Unknown and ;B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Further, in 2017, it published Tales from the Yawning Portal, a collection of scenarios that had originally been published for previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition, Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition, and even D&D Next. These scenarios though, did not include either B1 In Search of the Unknown or B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Which upon first glance seemed a strange omission, but then came the announcement from Goodman Games about Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands.

Arguably, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands would prove to be the ultimate version of the classic module, but authors have continued to revisit the original even since such as with the fanzine version from Swordfish Islands LLC, which so far consists of Beyond the Borderlands Issue #1 and Beyond the Borderlands Issue #2. Yet there remain oft forgotten visits to the famous ‘Keep on the Borderlands’ and the equally infamous, ‘Caves of Chaos’, which are worth examining and shining light upon. For example, ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ is a prequel to Return to the Keep of the Borderlands by Jeff Grub, but there have also been expansions to B2 Keep on the Borderlands. It is often forgotten that the infamous Caves of Chaos are not the only cavern system to be found in the region. Located in the large unforested area between the Caves of Chaos and the eponymous keep are the Caves of the Unknown, mislabelled on the wilderness map as the ‘Cave of the Unknown’. This is mentioned twice in the module. Once on page 12 where it says, “The Caves of the Unknown area is left for you to use as a place to devise your own cavern complex or dungeon maze.” and then again, in location #51, in the ‘Shrine of Evil Chaos’, where a “Boulder Filled Passage” can lead to the Cave of the Unknown. Left up to the Dungeon Master to design and detail, one option has been to simply insert the Caverns of Quasqueton from B1 In Search of the Unknown and this was the option chosen for Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands. However, other designers have embraced Gygax’s advice in B2 Keep on the Borderlands and created their own dungeons to fill this spot. Perhaps the earliest was Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion, published by Usherwood Publishing in 2013, but it would be followed by others, including RC Pinnell, who has a history of writing sequels to classic Dungeons & Dragons modules, would release his own version at about the same time as Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands was published.

Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion is written for use with both Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition and OSRIC, or ‘Old School Reference and Index Compilation’, the retroclone based upon Advanced Dungeons & Dragons originally published in 2006. It is part of the publisher’s ‘High-Adventure from Middle-School’ line of adventures designed to ape the style and look of the adventures that we wrote for Dungeons & Dragons in our school days when we were first beginning to roleplay. Consequently, Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion has a certain look. It is presented in a font designed to look like handwriting and done on the type of paper which has holes along one edge for it to be clipped into a file and both of the scenario’s maps are drawn on squared paper, with the ‘Supplemental map 1 to: Keep on the Borderlands (The Environs of the Keep)’ coloured with pencils. It gives the whole look of the scenario a certain charm, perhaps best from a sense of nostalgia, but also a certain tackiness. It does not help that the choice of font makes the scenario awkward to read and use. However, get past that and surprisingly, Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion does exactly what the title says as well adding a new threat and a new storyline.

Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion focuses first on the Cave of the Unknown. Although there is a cave entrance, here it is more of a dungeon complex with some twelve rooms. Together with the addition of a tower above the complex, they are the forward base for a group of bandits. In fact, a large number of bandits. Altogether, there are some eighty-five bandits in the complex together with their stores and equipment. Most of the bandits are Level One, although sergeants are Level Two, a Lieutenant Level Three, and a Captain, Level Four. They are led by Malthus the Grey wizard and Gwethlos the Red Cleric, both evil NPCs and both Fifth Level. The complex of rooms feels too small for this number of men and the descriptions of the rooms themselves are simplistic and plain. To some extent this can be explained by the ethos of the scenario, the ‘High-Adventure from Middle-School’ look and feel, but it leaves the Dungeon Master to do all of the hard work in adding flavour and detail to the scenario.

If the description of the Cave of the Unknown fails to intrigue or entice, the plot, whilst still simple, more than makes up for that. Malthus the Grey wizard and Gwethlos the Red Cleric are gathering men to make an assault upon the keep, and not only that, but they are also negotiating with the goblins and hobgoblins in the Caves of Chaos to recruit them to their cause. In addition, Palthos, the son of the Castellan of the keep, disappeared near the caves. The Castellan, greatly worried at his son’s disappearance, has put out a huge reward for the return of his son. In addition, there is a second force of bandits just outside of the area detailed in B2 Keep in the Borderlands. They have begun raiding caravans travelling back and forth from the keep and are holding several prisoners. The prisoners include merchants who will pay the Player Characters a monetary reward if rescued and several mercenaries who will serve the Player Characters for a limited amount of time if also rescued. The camp itself is not described, but is clearly marked on the ‘Supplemental map 1 to: Keep on the Borderlands (The Environs of the Keep)’ map.

Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion is basic, perhaps too basic. It has three major problems. The first is is the lack of description and flavour and detail. The second is the fact that Palthos, the son of the Castellan of the keep, is mentioned at the beginning of the scenario and never mentioned again, and arguably, his disappearance and the potential reward for his return are the major hook for the Player Characters. This is a major omission. However, neither problem is insurmountable and with some effort upon the part of the Dungeon Master, better descriptions can be added to the scenario’s dungeon and the location where Palthos is being held prisoner can be decided upon. The third is the lack of description of the region beyond that described in B2 Keep in the Borderlands bar the mention and location of the bandit camp. Again, it is left up to the Dungeon Master to not only describe, but actually develop.

Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion is a really more of a framework to expand to B2 Keep on the Borderlands than a ready-to-play addition. It has a pair of decent story hooks and these are worth developing to expand and enhance the play of a classic module. Keep on the Borderlands: The Expansion is worth looking at for these very reasons and the fact that it is free is bonus.

‘B2’ Series: Warriors of the Gray Lady

The reputation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands and its influence on fantasy roleplaying is such that publishers keep returning to it. TSR, Inc. of course published the original as well as including it in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, which is where many gamers encountered it. The publisher would also revisit it with Return to the Keep on the Borderlands for its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the module would serve as the basis for Keep on the Borderlands, part of Wizards of the Coast’s ‘Encounters Program’ for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Yet since then, Wizards of the Coast has all but ignored B2 Keep on the Borderlands and the module that preceded it, B1 In Search of the Unknown, barring the publisher’s 2012 Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos: An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3. This was the playtest scenario for D&D Next, first seen in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, which was essentially previewing what would go on to become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition.

Instead, it would be other publishers who would revisit both scenarios in the twenty-first century. So Kenzer & Company first published B1 Quest for the Unknown, a version of B1 In Search of the Unknown for use with HackMaster, Fourth Edition, and would follow it up with not one, but two versions of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. First with B2 Little Keep on the Borderlands: An Introductory Module for Characters Level 1–4 in 2002, and then again in 2009 with Frandor’s Keep: An immersive setting for adventure. Another publisher to revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands was Chris Gonnerman, with JN1 The Chaotic Caves, a scenario written for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. In addition, Faster Monkey Games published its own homage to B1 In Search for the Unknown with The Hidden Serpent, whilst Pacesetter Games & Simulations has published a number of extra encounters and sequels for both scenarios, most notably B1 Legacy of the Unknown and B2.5 Blizzard on the Borderland.

Yet Wizards of the Coast did not ignore its extensive back catalogue. It would release numerous titles in PDF, and even allow Print on Demand reprints, including both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Further, in 2017, it published Tales from the Yawning Portal, a collection of scenarios that had originally been published for previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition, Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition, and even D&D Next. These scenarios though, did not include either B1 In Search of the Unknown or B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Which upon first glance seemed a strange omission, but then came the announcement from Goodman Games about Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands. 

Arguably, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands would prove to be the ultimate version of the classic module, but authors have continued to revisit the original even since such as with the fanzine version from Swordfish Islands LLC, which so far consists of Beyond the Borderlands Issue #1 and Beyond the Borderlands Issue #2. Yet there remain oft forgotten visits to the famous ‘Keep on the Borderlands’ and the equally infamous, ‘Caves of Chaos’, which are worth examining and shining light upon. So it is with ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’. Written by Jeff Grubb, ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ was published in 1999 as an insert in InQuest Gamer #50 (June, 1999), the monthly magazine for game reviews and news from Wizard Entertainment, which ran between 1995 and 2007 and had a particular focus on collectable card games. Nominally known as ‘IQ3’ and just sixteen pages in length, it was written for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Second Edition and designed as a prequel to the soon to be released Return to the Keep of the Borderlands. It is for Player Characters of between First and Third Level and takes place before they arrive at the eponymous keep on the borderlands.

‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ opens with the Player Characters on the road to the frontier and the border castle there, aiming to use it as a base of operations as they explore and potentially clean out the Caves of Chaos that their parents told them about. Their path is blocked by a caravan where a cleric is vociferously complaining that the caravan’s guards failed to stop the theft of an important magical item, the Helm of Perception, he was taking to the keep. The cleric hires the Player Characters to go after the thief. When they accept, the thief’s tracks lead into the forest to the north and then to a clearing when his body, not far from a cave mouth in a low hill. Inside the cave is a classic kingdom of the mushroom men or Myconids, but it is a kingdom in disarray. Some time prior to the Player Characters’ arrival, another party of adventurers entered the cave in search of treasure. They were all killed in the attempt, but as both the last of the adventurers and the king of the Myconids lay dying, the king released the spores to create a new king, but the spores mingled with the dying human warrior and kept her alive—sort of. Now she is the ‘Gray Queen’, twisted by the fungus as much as her thoughts twist the shared thoughts of the Myconid collective mind and drive them all mad!

Although the final confrontation will involve combat, the Player Characters do not have to resort to combat in the earlier encounters in the caves. If they refrain, they will be able to learn what has happened in the caves since the invasion of the previous adventuring party. This is done in a pleasingly entertaining and alien fashion, which involves the Myconids still free of the Gray Queen’s disturbing influence blasting messages spores into the faces of the Player Characters! Although quite lengthy, the description of this is nicely done and the experience should be a weird one for player and characters alike—and actually one the Player Characters are likely to be wary off of if the Myconids have used spores on them earlier in the scenario. ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ should last no more than a single session.

Since the events of ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ do not take place at the Keep on the Borderlands, what does the scenario add to Return to the Keep on the Borderlands? Well, it sets things up for the Player Characters’ arrival. If they are able to recover the Helm of Perception, they will have made possible allies and contacts at the keep, ones who can supply ready healing. Very likely something they are going to need after a visit or two to the Caves of Chaos! One of the NPCs—the complaining cleric encountered at the caravan—is fully written and could become a recurring figure at the keep for the Player Characters, even though he is likely to be very annoying. The scenario includes some advice for the Dungeon Master which discusses most possible eventualities and outcomes of the scenario, including the Player Characters stealing the Helm of Perception or the annoying cleric getting killed.

Physically, ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ is done in full rich colour—something that not even featured in the official releases for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Second Edition at the time. Notably, it is illustrated with a range of fully painted pieces, all of them drawn from the covers of previous books for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Second Edition, including pieces from the Dragonlance line. One issue perhaps with this is that nearly all of the illustrations showcase Dungeons & Dragons in general rather than the scenario itself. This is confirmed by the pieces of descriptive text accompanying the artwork which are generic in nature and verging on the trite. At least for Dungeons & Dragons, that is!

‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ is a serviceable scenario which could be run as a prequel to Return to the Keep on the Borderlands. However, it is not vital to that scenario, even though it does help set up the Player Characters and their reputation for when they do arrive at the keep. Similarly, the scenario would be a reasonable side quest or side trek adventure for most campaigns for low Level Player Characters. Overall, ‘Warriors of the Gray Lady’ is an interesting, if minor side note to the history of B2 Keep on the Borderlands.

Review 999: Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands

The reputation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands and its influence on fantasy roleplaying is such that publishers keep returning to it. TSR, Inc. of course published the original as well as including it in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, which is where many gamers encountered it. The publisher would also revisit it with Return to the Keep on the Borderlands for its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the module would serve as the basis for Keep on the Borderlands, part of Wizards of the Coast’s ‘Encounters Program’ for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Yet since then, Wizards of the Coast has all but ignored B2 Keep on the Borderlands and the module that preceded it, B1 In Search of the Unknown, barring the publisher’s 2012 Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos: An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3. This was the playtest scenario for D&D Next, first seen in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, which was essentially previewing what would go on to become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition.

Instead, it would be other publishers who would revisit both scenarios in the twenty-first century. So Kenzer & Company first published B1 Quest for the Unknown, a version of B1 In Search of the Unknown for use with HackMaster, Fourth Edition, and would follow it up with not one, but two versions of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. First with B2 Little Keep on the Borderlands: An Introductory Module for Characters Level 1–4 in 2002, and then again in 2009 with Frandor’s Keep: An immersive setting for adventure. Another publisher to revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands was Chris Gonnerman, with JN1 The Chaotic Caves, a scenario written for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. In addition, Faster Monkey Games published its own homage to B1 In Search for the Unknown with The Hidden Serpent, whilst Pacesetter Games & Simulations has published a number of extra encounters and sequels for both scenarios, most notably B1 Legacy of the Unknown and B2.5 Blizzard on the Borderland.

Yet Wizards of the Coast did not ignore its extensive back catalogue. It would release numerous titles in PDF, and even allow Print on Demand reprints, including both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Further, in 2017, it published Tales from the Yawning Portal, a collection of scenarios that had originally been published for previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition, Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition, and even D&D Next. These scenarios though, did not include either B1 In Search of the Unknown or B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Which upon first glance seemed a strange omission, but then came the announcement from Goodman Games about Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands.

Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands presents a huge package dedicated to B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands. The large volume includes interviews, reprints, advice, redesigns, expansions, and more. It is a chance for gamers—old and new, but given the nostalgia value of this book, mostly old—to look at these modules anew and actually compare with what versions written for Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition might look like. For newer players, it provides an opportunity to examine the modules in their original form, but really then play them using a set of rules with which they are familiar. All together, there are three versions of each module in Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands with the means to include both in the region.

Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands opens with a series of interviews and reminiscences. Luke Gygax, son E. Gary Gygax, provides a foreword and shares his memories of playing B2 Keep on the Borderlands, whilst Mike Mearls, co-lead designer on Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition explores the key elements in the module that best shows of the elements of Dungeons & Dragons, before looking a little at B1 In Search of the Unknown. What he highlights is how many of the elements found in B2 Keep on the Borderlands serve as the model for a good Dungeons & Dragons adventure, and show how they can be applied to various settings. Elsewhere Alex Kramer talks about how B2 Keep on the Borderlands started his collection of Dungeons & Dragons titles, but the highlight of the introduction is naturally enough, an interview with Mike Carr, the designer of B1 In Search for the Unknown. This is a lengthier piece than the Q&A which appeared in In Search of the Unknown Campaign Sourcebook, which serves as a companion to this informative interview. Similarly, the discussion of the cover and art of B1 In Search of the Unknown in the fan-based In Search of the Unknown Campaign Sourcebook serves as a companion to ‘The Mystery of the Alternate B1 Cover Art’. This is the last entry in the introductory chapter and brings it to an interesting close.

Over a third of Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands is devoted to reprints of the original modules. These include scans of the second and sixth  printings of B1 In Search for the Unknown and the second and fourth printings of B2 Keep on the Borderlands. For the most part, the differences between the two sets of printings are minor, and it is unlikely that a Dungeon Master would use both. They are more than just historical curiosities though, as they showcase how the modules  originally appeared and they also serve as springboards for contemporary designers to approach them using the Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition rules.

The Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition versioning begins by giving options that fulfill the aim of B1 In Search of the Unknown. Famously, that module left it up to the Dungeon Master to stock each of its rooms and locations with monsters, NPCs, and treasure from the lists included. Three such lists are included, each accompanied by a little introduction explaining the reasoning behind each list. This is followed by advice echoing that given both the Dungeon Master and her players in B1 In Search of the Unknown. Although written with the Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition version of the module that follows in mind, it really harks back to that originally included in B1 In Search of the Unknown, preparing player and Dungeon Master alike for a different roleplaying experience—an ‘Old School’ experience if you will. The actual version of B1 In Search of the Unknown for Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition retains the same emphasis on exploration and combat as the original, but the modern update means that it places more of an emphasis on social interaction and story than in the original. This is achieved by what is a complete stocking of the dungeon of its monsters, NPCs, and treasures—essentially what is the fourth stocked example in Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands—with NPCs and monsters being active in the dungeon. These include a set of highly competitive Gnome triplets leading a band of evil Gnomes on a raid of the dungeon, whilst a band of the barbarians from the tribes that the builders of Quasqueton, Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown, are famous for defeating. Certainly, the Dungeon Master will have fun roleplaying the nasty little Gnomes. There is also an entertaining Mimic in the caves too. The result is a fun dungeon, tough and challenging, but to an extent what is lost is the emphasis on the background and story of Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown.

Beyond the confines of Quasqueton, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands adds three further encounters. These include the tower which Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown never quite completed, and what are both of their tombs. These are primarily trap and puzzle-based areas as you would expect from a tomb, and again, these are quite tough, almost evoking the infamous S1 Tomb of Horrors in their nastiness. Written of course, for lower Level characters. These three encounters are all optional, but quite detailed. They do include yet another take on what happened to Melissa, Rogahn the Fearless’ mistress, which provides the first of Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands’ links between B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands.

In comparison, the adaptation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands for Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition is not as interesting. This is because it is more straightforward and lacks the scope for design input which is integral to B1 In Search of the Unknown. This does not mean that it is not well done, but it is more of a straight adaptation than a rewrite. Where the designers have scope to do more with B2 Keep on the Borderlands is in the wilderness area between the Keep and the Caves of Chaos. Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands doubles the number of encounters and locations, turning the area into a mini-sandbox. Old standbys are still there, like the evil Lizardmen and the old apiarist hermit, but there are also Bullywugs living in a Reed Maze, an abandoned Adventurer Camp, and more to be encountered. The inclusion of the Bullywugs, one of a number of monsters to appear here which originally appeared in the Fiend Folio for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition, is a nice touch since Luke Gygax, together with his father, originally designed them. One of the main additions—and very much an optional one at that—is that of the Caves of the Unknown. In other words, the designers give the option for the player characters to discover Quasqueton and play through B1 In Search of the Unknown before they even get to the Caves of Chaos!

As well as the encounters in the wilderness between the Keep and the Caves of Chaos, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands provides extra encounters in and around the ravine containing the Caves of Chaos. These increase the number of caves from eleven to fourteen. They include a hidden lair of Xvarts—another ‘Old School’ monster that originally appeared in the Fiend Folio and more recently in Volo’s Guide to Monsters, but is rarely used, a cave of giant vermin, and a cave system designed to link the Caves of Chaos to the lower level of the Caves of the Unknown. Again, these are well designed and do not necessarily feel out of place alongside the original caves. 

Rounding out Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands are lists of the various new monsters and magical items, as well as potential hirelings, but the volume closes with one last reprint. These are the full colour covers of both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands along with their maps. These are lovely reprints vibrant with colour that everyone’s battered and used copies of the originals lost long ago.

Physically, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands is decently presented. The facsimiles of both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands are clearly presented and easy enough to read, although the updated versions with their serif text and much bigger fonts are easier. That said, the use of different fonts and so on does make the overall look of the book disjointed, but it is obvious why it was done. (In fact, it would have been fascinating to have seen this product done as a boxed set containing the different versions of the modules, old and new, as well as separate maps and supporting material.) The book does need an edit though. The new maps are all sharp and clean, whilst the new artwork, much of which has a cartoonish quality to it, is decent enough. The contents page could definitely done with expanding, especially as there is no index in the book. Surprisingly, for a book of its size, Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands is quite light in the hand, although it still feels sturdy enough.

Now as good and as fun as it is to see the old versions of B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands reprinted, and then updated to, and expanded for, Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, there is something missing in Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands. The problem is that in setting the context with the interview and the memories, it feels as if B1 In Search of the Unknown receives all of the attention, leaving the reader wanting when it comes to reading about B2 Keep on the Borderlands. And further, the memories and the interview do feel wanting in comparison to the publisher’s earlier treatment of another TSR. Inc. classic, Metamorphosis Alpha with the delightfully informative Metamorphosis Alpha Collector’s Edition. Understandably, the creator of B2 Keep on the Borderlands, E, Gary Gygax, is longer with us, but surely something more could have been included?

There is a great deal to like about Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands. The interviews and reminiscences are interesting to read and to be able to place two classic modules alongside what more contemporary designers would do with them makes for fascinating comparisons. The expansions are all well designed and do not feel out of place with the older material, and even though the placing of the Caves of the Unknown close to the Caves of Chaos feels a little too much for the wilderness region, it does mean that B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands can be played together as a campaign. And despite the Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition updates, expansions, and updates—which it must be made clear makes both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands playable by those whose first game is Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, these are still ‘Old School’-style adventures. So there is more of an emphasis on combat and exploration, though the updated versions do include more story and more social interaction, and the adventures feel tougher and more unforgiving. If there is one thing that is missing, it is perhaps a discussion of the differences between the two styles of play, between Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition and the Old School Renaissance. There are hints, but if ever there was an opportunity to do so, surely it was with Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands?

Ultimately, it does feel as if there are a few things missing from Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands and it missed an opportunity or two. Yet it still manages to both satisfy our sense of nostalgia and explore a more modern approach to a pair of classic modules. This is because again and again, different publishers, whether TSR, Inc. or Kenzer & Company, Wizards of the Coast or Chris Gonnerman, have revisited these modules, exploring them, reshaping them, expanding them, all in an effort to recapture some of that joy of playing them the first time around, but still with the benefit of hindsight of decades’ worth of play and change in gaming sensibilities. Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands is a fine example of that, but takes the time to look back as well as update. Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands is not quite the definitive treatment of B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands, but Goodman Games’ homage is far from unwelcome and the updated versions provide plenty of play forty years on...

'B2' Series: Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos

The reputation of B2 Keep on the Borderlands and its influence on fantasy roleplaying is such that publishers keep returning to it. TSR, Inc. of course published the original as well as including it in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, which is where many gamers encountered it. The publisher would also revisit it with Return to the Keep on the Borderlands for its twenty-fifth anniversary, and the module would serve as the basis for Keep on the Borderlands, part of Wizards of the Coast’s ‘Encounters Program’ for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Yet until the advent of Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition and then most recently Goodman Games with Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands, which covered both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands, it would be other publishers who would revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands. Kenzer & Company visited it not once, but twice. First with B2 Little Keep on the Borderlands: An Introductory Module for Characters Level 1–4 in 2002, and then again in 2009 with Frandor’s Keep: An immersive setting for adventure. Another publisher to revisit B2 Keep on the Borderlands was Chris Gonnerman, with JN1 The Chaotic Caves, a scenario written for the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. Yet Wizards of the Coast would give B2 Keep on the Borderlands one last hurrah in 2012.

Barely four years old, by 2012, Wizards of the Coast was already developing and playtesting a replacement for Dungeon & Dragons, Fourth Edition. Although Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition would not be released until 2014—and before we continue, consider that was five years ago and Wizards of the Coast is still not considering developing Dungeons & Dragons, Sixth Edition—a number of playtest documents were released instead. These were for D&D Next, first seen in Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, which was essentially previewing what would go on to become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition and they included the scenario, Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos: An Adventure for Character Levels 1-3.

Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos begins with some general notes. These highlight how “…[T]his module, originally titled B2: Keep on the Borderlands, has been the introductory module from the earliest boxed editions of D&D rules. The adventure consisted of a detailed keep, to be as a base, and a cave complex known as the Caves of Chaos. The latter has been included here.” Immediately, this establishes Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos as being focused on play. There is no keep for the player characters in which to wander around, do some shopping, and discover some rumours from the nameless inhabitants. Instead, it simply presents the dungeon, the infamous Caves of Chaos, and no more. In doing so, it is intended as a fairly faithful rendition of the original, designed actually to test out the freedoms of how Dungeons & Dragons might be played—not should be played or must be played, but might be played. The point is that as an adventure, Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is designed to be open any style of play, whether that is hack-and-slash, dungeon crawls, guerrilla warfare and political manipulation, and so on.

It also highlights how the module does not present a single story or plot, the player characters being free to proceed how they want through the scenario. Nevertheless, in a sop to thirty odd years in roleplaying development, Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos does include numerous motivations which can be used to draw the players and their characters into exploring the Caves of Chaos. The five given are all strong hooks. Another point is that Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is designed for ‘Free-Form Adventuring’. It states that, “Most adventures published for the latest editions of the D&D game have encounters tuned for balance and a structure meant to take the characters from one set-piece battle to the next. Sometimes, safe resting places were built in at just the right points. Although each cave has a recommended level for a party of four characters, The Caves of Chaos doesn’t work like such previous adventures.” So what it is saying is that the adventure is not like those of Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition—and to some extent with Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition with adventures like Scourge of the Howling Horde with their ‘Combat Encounter’ structure. Thus it would be more like the classic adventures of old—which of course, is what Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is a version of—and indeed, would be more like the adventures, or rather, the campaigns to come for Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition.

For the Dungeon Master, there is solid advice on handling the monsters and making the dungeon dynamic in how its denizens react to the activities of the player characters and on how to handle to avoid killer encounters, the latter a problem because the player characters could simply wander into a section of the Caves of Chaos for which they are not experienced enough to handle. The advice continues with each of the eleven caves which make up the Caves of Chaos. Each one is preceded by a section explaining the level of challenge it represents to a party and providing an overview. For example, the first cave, the Kobold Lair, is presented as a challenge for a First or Second Level party and that a higher Level party would trounce the Kobolds. The key location in the Kobold Lair is area 6 and that any fleeing Kobold will go there to warn the others, who will react as needed, though eight will always remain. It also highlights how the Kobolds are notorious for their traps. It does this in turn for each of the caves.

All of the individual location descriptions are clearly laid out. So there are notes on any sources of light or noise, what monsters are present, what features, treasure to be found, and if a possibility, any development. Thus for the Orc Leader’s Room in the first Orc Lair, there is source of light, but mutterings might be heard between him and his four formal mates. There is treasure to be found on the Orcs and around the room as well as a couple of secret areas, but in terms of development, the Orc Leader might slip behind a tapestry and flee through a secret door to get help from the other Orc tribe in the Caves of Chaos. This formating makes every location and every cave easy to read and the various skill and attribute Difficulty Class targets are easy to spot. 

Now anyone who has read, run, or played B2 Keep on the Borderlands will find much that is familiar. So the Goblins shout “Bree-Yark!”; the Ogre is open to bribery and hiring, though he cannot be trusted; the Bugbears offer hot meals and beds for the night; and so on. Yet, there would have been players and Dungeon Masters enough who had not seen B2 Keep on the Borderlands, so it would not have been as familiar to everyone. Especially that it would not be until January, 2013 that Wizards of the Coast made it available as a PDF for general sale.

Physically, Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is a twenty-three page, 2.61 MB PDF. Barring the full colour painting on the front cover, there are no illustrations in the document and it is very clearly marked as a with ‘Playtest’ throughout. It does include a map of the Caves of Chaos, which looks to have been copied from B2 Keep on the Borderlands and is a little murky and difficult to read clearly.

Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is not B2 Keep on the Borderlands and it is not intended to be. It is instead a version of the major parts of that module designed to test the limits—or the freedoms—of play in an open environment unshackled from an earlier set of rules. To do that it presents a facsimile of the Caves of Chaos from B2 Keep on the Borderlands in a very accessible format with some solid supporting advice and then just leaves the Dungeon Master and her players to just play however they want. In fact it is so accessible, that any Dungeon Master with any experience would be able to pick this up and start running it with relatively little preparation. Overall, Dungeon Module B2 The Caves of Chaos is a snapshot of a game in development, one looking forward to what would become Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, but still ready to look to—and acknowledge—the past.

'B1' Series: The Hidden Serpent

The ‘B’ series, the series of modules published by TSR, Inc. for Basic Dungeons & Dragons did not begin with B2 Keep on the Borderlands. That much is obvious, but there is no denying that it feels that way. This is not surprising given that it was packaged with the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set between 1979 and 1983, it is estimated that more than a million copies of B2 Keep on the Borderlands were printed, and for a great many gamers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was their introduction to Dungeons & Dragons. Yet before this, there was another scenario, also part of the ‘B’ series, and also packaged with Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set until it was replaced with B2 Keep on the Borderlands. That module was B1 In Search of the Unknown.

First published in 1979 as an introductory adventure for the first Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set that had appeared the year before, B1 In Search of the Unknown set out to provide an adventure that could be run by the novice Dungeon Master and played by novice roleplayers, both just setting out on their first foray into the world of dungeoneering. Thus it is designed to challenge Dungeon Master and players alike and to be instructive for both, but it is not designed to be particularly deadly as a dungeon for experienced players might be. Yet where in the decades since its original publication B2 Keep on the Borderlands has been visited and revisited, from Return to the Keep on the Borderlands to the Keep on the Borderlands series for the Encounters Program for Dungeons & Dragons, Fourth Edition, the fact is that B1 In Search of the Unknown has been all but ignored by both TSR, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast. Instead it has been third party publishers who have revisited the first entry in the ‘B’ series. Most notably and recently, of course, by Goodman Games with Original Adventures Reincarnated #1: Into the Borderlands, which covered both B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands. In 2002, Kenzer & Company had published B1 Quest for the Unknown as an adaptation for its own retroclone, HackMaster, Fourth Edition, but another publisher has revisited B1 In Search of the Unknown since then—Faster Monkey Games.

No longer in operation, Faster Monkey Games is best known for titles such as Skull Mountain and the excellent In The Shadow of Mount Rotten, both still available from Catthulhu.com. In 2010, Faster Monkey Games published The Hidden Serpent. This is a dungeon crawl adventure, designed for four to six characters of Second to Fourth Level, written for use with Labyrinth Lord. Most notably—and despite the title—The Hidden Serpent is actually a homage to the classic B1 In Search of the Unknown. Unlike that scenario, The Hidden Serpent is complete and ready to play, and does not need the intervention of the Labyrinth Lord in order to populate it with either monsters nor treasures. It comes as a 7.53 MB twenty-six-page, full PDF with really nice colour cover, its maps and handouts being including separately for ease of use by the Labyrinth Lord.

From the start, The Hidden Serpent comes with a solid background story and hooks to get the player characters involved. The backstory casts Zeglin the wizard and Rogar the warrior as former adventurers who have established a band of mercenaries willing to fight for any employer, whatever their alignment, whether that involves destablising local governments or actively suppressing dissent. In the process, the former adventurers have grown rich and this has paid for the expansion and development of their hidden cavern base, which they have called ‘QUAZKYTON’. For years they operated in secret, but recently, the arrival of a young woman at the caverns has disrupted the situation in QUAZKYTON. Brought to the complex by Rogar, Meli the courtesan found life there unpalatable and fled, taking both Rogar’s previously loyal lieutenant, Captain Karov, and much of his wealth, with her. As Rogar goes after the traitorous Meli and Captain Karov, and Zeglin leaves to fulfil another commission, QUAZKYTON will be left in the hands of their other subordinates, which will have profound effects upon the underground complex when the player characters come to explore it.

The Hidden Serpent offers two hooks to get the player characters involved, both being predicated on their being in a frontier town. The first is to confirm that someone is making use of slaves in the nearby foothills and the second is to locate a relic said to be hidden there. The Labyrinth Lord is free to use either or both of these and is given a wilderness map for the player characters to traverse, along with a few encounters they can have along the way. Neither the town nor the location are named, but ostensibly, The Hidden Serpent is part of the Eastern Valnwall setting, based on the Known Lands in Labyrinth Lord. That said, both town and dungeon are easy to slot into whatever campaign setting the Labyrinth Lord is using.

The encounters do allow the Labyrinth Lord to give her player characters a bit of a runaround, but eventually they will find QUAZKYTON. Another benefit of the encounters is that they give the opportunity for the player characters to enter and explore the complex by guile rather than force. The complex itself resembles the Quasqueton of B1 In Search of the Unknown, but on a much reduced scale. This does not mean that the notable features of Quasqueton have been lost. So the Fungus Garden and the infamous Room of Pools—here as the Chamber of Cauldrons—are present. Physically, the design of QUAZKYTON is not as compact and more clearly organised, with discrete sections dividing the complex into quarters and facilities for the mercenaries and then suites of rooms for Zeglin and Rogar. These are almost mini-dungeons in themselves, especially Zeglin’s quarters where both the Fungus Garden and the Chamber of Cauldrons are, located as they are behind a series of magically trapped doors.

The second level or caves of QUAZKYTON is also smaller. The cave are also radically different. Instead of being under development as in Quasqueton, here they have been sealed off to present their current denizens from getting loose. Primarily this is a band of undead that were former Dwarven miners that Zeglin left here to die. Not only does this confirm that the wizard is evil, it adds an element of horror to the scenario.

Another difference between B1 In Search of the Unknown and The Hidden Serpent is their time frames. In the former, Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown disappeared years ago, unlikely to return, and Quasqueton is all but abandoned. (Indeed, this is explored further in Pacesetter Games & Simulations’ B1 Legacy of the Unknown.) In The Hidden Serpent, QUAZKYTON is a working environment and this can be of benefit to the player characters. If they are roleplayed as mercenaries, they may be able to look around the facilities with some ease. Yet it can also work against the player characters, for if the remaining garrison realises that they are intruders, they will defend the complex. The other possible issue is whether or not Zeglin and Rogar are coming back—and if so, when? In reality, this is more of a threat than an actuality, since the player characters are unlikely to be able to defeat either Zeglin or Rogar. It is thus a story element, though one that the Labyrinth Lord may need to make more explicit, serving to push the player characters to act rather than taking too much time in exploring the complex. What this means though, is that The Hidden Serpent is not really the exploration dungeon that its inspiration was.

The real difference between The Hidden Serpent and B1 In Search of the Unknown is not one of size, even though The Hidden Serpent is smaller and more compact, but one of story. In B1 In Search of the Unknown, the story is implied, waiting to be found amongst the artefacts left behind by Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown, telling who they and Melissa are, and perhaps what has happened to her at least. In The Hidden Serpent, the story is more overt—the escaped slaves who have made it as far as the town in the first plot hook, the evacuated QUAZKYTON as Zeglin goes off to undertake a commission and Rogar goes after his ex-girlfriend, the tensions between the human and Demi-Human mercenaries left behind, and the mystery of the undead in the caverns… This gives the Labyrinth Lord a lot of story and plot elements to play with and the players to dig into, perhaps making it easier for the Labyrinth Lord to run and for her players to get involved. That said, perhaps the tensions between the human and Demi-Human mercenaries left behind could have been made more of.

Physically, The Hidden Serpent is well presented. It needs a slight edit here and there, but it is well written and whilst the artwork consists mostly of filler pieces designed to break up the text, they are decent filler pieces. The maps though, are nicely done and the cover is attractive.

When The Hidden Serpent was published in 2010, B1 In Search of the Unknown was not available. Indeed, Wizards of the Coast would not make it available until 2013. So when it was released, The Hidden Serpent represented a proper alternative and choice for the Labyrinth Lord and her players to experience something similar. Yet, The Hidden Serpent is not as ‘Old School’ as B1 In Search of the Unknown. This is obvious in its emphasis on story over simple exploration, but it is still a challenging, sometimes deadly scenario. And as much as it is a homage to B1 In Search of the Unknown, the story elements means that it is going to play differently too. Overall, The Hidden Serpent is an enjoyable tribute to B1 In Search of the Unknown, but with its emphasis on story, more ‘new school’ than ‘old school’.