I did not need a module to tell me how to DM nor did I want a place with a whole bunch people running around that were not monsters. I had already played the module In Search of the Unknown, designed, and ran my own multilevel dungeon (that involved a wilderness adventure) by the time that I was given The Keep on the Borderlands. As you may be able to guess, I was not the most sophisticated of gamers, when I was sixteen.
Was it really nineteen years ago that I first read The Keep on the Borderlandsand thought, “What a lousy module ?” Yes, I guess it was. I’ve fixed a few typos and grammar errors and added a few hyperlinks and here is the review for your perusal and enjoyment. It has been 17 years, since this review has seen the light of day. This reminded me of a review that I wrote for a now defunct website. Notwithstanding, they where a little flawed, maybe more than enough opportunities aroused for the so inclined to give them a whirl and infuse them with our own flavor for the dramatic, maybe tweak the rules a little.or a lot, and add our own maps, quests and critters to the mix.but this was HEAVILY ENCOURAGED by the makers of such a wondrous game, because they recognized, from the git-go, that it was practically impossible to incorporate all the choices, turns, twists and ideas that people would come up with.Creighton Broadhurst wrote a nice article on the advice Gary Gygax gave to Dungeon Masters and Players in the module B2 The Keep on the Borderlands. My experience with the starting sets, both the Basic & the Expert Boxes, where a thing of magic!!! Younglings, as well as old newbies must take into consideration the fact that at the time these gems where "released" into the gaming consciousness, we just did not have any other standard with which to judge these was all new!!! So, to us, it was a bright and huge door opening into an incredible new world of fantasy and adventure, a truly remarkable new way of getting the chance to explore, live & re-invent all of our favorite myths, dreams and stories from novels, short stories and reading class at our local schools!!!
I always love to hear about how people got started in the hobby. Thanks for sharing you experience as a beginning dungeons and dragons player, Sunglar.
Still, every now and then I like to pull out this module and my all-time favorite series just to look at my notes on the margins and remember that time long ago when dungeons and dragons was something mysterious and awe-inspiring in the mind of a naive 11-year old. and unfortunately a bit frustrating (ask my players about the deaf prisoner, lol). The two published adventures I am currently running have been 'tweaked' by me to make them more interesting and challenging. I've found most published adventures to be lacking. Generally speaking, you and I are in the same boat. It certainly wasn't perfect, but as far as an introduction to dungeons and dragons was concerned, it was one cool module. Dragon Magazine ranks it as the 7th greatest Dungeons and Dragons adventure of all times. This module was so much fun that it was made into a published novel in 1999. Too bad publication of this module ceased something like 5 years before you started playing.