B1 – Legacy of the Unknown

This is the first in a series of modules from Pacesetter which promise to be sequels to some the classic adventures of old. Many of the old products had adventure hooks and paths that lead off to other areas for the DM to expand the adventure. As the name implies, this module is a follow-up to the old TSR product B1 – In Search of the Unknown. Recall that in that product the dungeon complex, and a fantastic on it was, was constructed by Rogahn the Fearless & Zelligar the Unknown. Those fine fellows were mentioned as having left on a quest and never coming back. In looting their dungeon the party has discovered journals which detail the duo’s plan to set off and give chance to the barbarians they had been fighting. The party must set off on the trail of the find a ruined city, and rumors of wealth. The tie-in to the old module is a good one however the hook is a bit lacking. “Wouldn’t it be nice to find out what happened to those two guys who’s house we just looted?”

The journey to the ruined city in the barbarian lands will take about 10 days, which implies that the first B1 was really on the edge of the civilized lands. There are no wandering encounters on the overland journey however there are three pre-set encounters. The party will meet a rabid hill giant and a group of giant snakes, as well as a group of evil dwarves pretending to be nice. This last encounter can give the party a map which leads the to the small tomb of a forgotten king. Another optional encounter is a small outpost now inhabited by giant spiders. Each of these can be challenging encounters for a group of 2nd-4th level characters, but give the nature of wilderness encounters, lots of time to rest and recover, they should be manageable. In particular I like the idea of the dwarves having a small hook to their own adventure. This kind of detail is what can make encounters come to life. You’re not just hacking down a random group of humanoids, they had a reason to be where they were. There are a few environmental tricks/traps in the crypt and the outpost, but for the most part they are straightforward encounters.

The majority of the adventure will be set in the ruined city of Shard. The area surrounding the great spire has been divided in to eight zones, each with their own inhabitants. Scattered throughout the zones are the rings the party need to gain entrance to the spire. The zones themselves are not too large, maybe a thousand feet on a side, however they are large enough to allow the party to sneak about, scout, and not necessarily have a pitched battle with the inhabitants of each of the zones. Each of the zones could be thought of as a a decent-sized lair dungeon/stronghold and would probably serve as modules in their own right, give their size & detail. There’s a zone of orcs, goblins, gnolls, and cultists, along with a a couple of abandoned zones full of beasties and a rogue druid who all of the other zones fear. This concept is one that I like. By providing different factions the party is not immediately forced to fight everyone they meet. They all have their own goals. The party can explore, negotiate, trade, scout, and fight pitched battles. In some ways it reminds me of one of the favorite FPS’s, Far Cry. It would give you a goal “get from where you are now to that point way over there” and put some obstacles in your way. You could sneak around the enemy encampments, take them out with stealth, run through like crazy, or kill everything in sight. The freedom this gives a player leads to some of what makes RPG’s special. Again, these humanoids have other motivations than being sword-fodder for the PC’s and this detail will lead to memorable encounters, even if the party does hack them down later. Since the zones tend to be lived-in places there are not a lot of tricks/traps, although there are a few hidden places and secrets for the party to root out, including at least one major one.

Gaining access to the central spire will lead the party to the ruined city underneath. This is very briefly described and really only has one major encounter area: The Dead Temple. Within this environment the party will face many undead and learn the fate of Rogahn and Zelligar. Again, it’s a pretty straight-froward exploration with not much in the way of tricks & traps. Learning the fate of the two adventurers should provide a pretty sweet payoff, especially if the group os familiar with the original B1. Finally, the climax of the adventure is a pretty good one, describing one of those classic situations that people in books usually get in to. It is ABSOLUTELY not a railroad though. Almost any party should recognize what is going on and the decisions they have to make, and their part in what unfolds, should make for a memorable encounter in the best of the OSR tradition. I hesitate to say too much however I will say the dynamic due were pretty bad ass, even if they were only 8th level,  and and a time stop was involved.

This is a pretty good adventure and it should fill up quote a few sessions. While the trick/trap quotient is not very high, it must be said that this is not really a traditional dungeoncrawl either. There’s a lack of wandering monsters also, however there are a few new monsters and magic items. It would have been nice to see a few more, or have the ones that are new be more of a focus of the adventure, but I think I can forgive that in a low-level module. I enjoyed the living feel of the module inhabitants as well as some of the side detail, such as the dwarves treasure map. The potential for a clever party to live by it’s wits is always appreciated. It does a good job of being a sequel without making that the entire focus of the adventure or being too close to the original product. I can certainly recommend it.

This is available on DriveThru.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/263887/B1-Legacy-of-the-Unknown?affiliate_id=1892600