''Blizzard Pass'' was the first solo

adventure module An adventure is a playable scenario in a tabletop role-playing game. These can be constructed by gamemasters for their players, and are also released by game publishers as pre-made adventure modules. Different types of designs exist, including l ...

for the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

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. It was published by TSR in 1983 and used the ''Basic Rules''.

Plot summary

''Blizzard Pass'' is a solo adventure for a

thief Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

level 1–3. The thief must cross Blizzard Pass, and then penetrate a cavern system within Blizzard Pass to free the other adventurers from a prison. The module also contains a short adventure for a party of characters level 2–3, dealing with the exploration of the Pass.

Publication history

''Blizzard Pass'' was written by

David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' * David Cook (writer) (1940–2015), Briti ...

and published in 1983. Cook, David. ''Blizzard Pass'' ( TSR, 1983) Module M1 consisted of a 32-page booklet with an "invisible ink" pen attached to its outer folder and featured a cover by Tim Truman. ''Blizzard Pass'' is designed for use with the ''Basic Rules''. Hidden messages written in invisible ink are placed throughout the module in blank boxes. The module comes with a special pen which, when rubbed over a box, reveals the hidden message. The module has a total of 309 entries, nearly half of which are blank and need to be made visible. The ''10th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Collector's Set''

boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

, published by TSR in 1984, included the rulebooks from the

Basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...

Expert An expert is somebody who has a broad and deep understanding and competence in terms of knowledge, skill and experience through practice and education in a particular field. Informally, an expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable s ...

, and Companion sets; modules AC2, AC3, B1, B2, and M1, Blizzard Pass;

Player Character Record Sheets ''Player Character Record Sheets'' is an accessory designed for the tabletop fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Publication history Early years: 1974-1977 The first role-playing game published, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974), did ...

; and dice; this set was limited to 1,000 copies, and was sold by mail and at

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17. In 1985, TSR published ''Into the Maelstrom'' and assigned it the module code M1. To avoid confusion, ''Blizzard Pass'' was retroactively assigned the code MSOLO1.

Reception

Doug Cowie reviewed ''Blizzard Pass'' for ''

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'' magazine. He found it very entertaining. Cowie's main criticism was that at the beginning there is a choice between two options "either of which could equally be sound or foolhardy". Picking the wrong one results in the character's death with no chance of escape. After that, though, Cowie felt that the play becomes "more varied and subtle". He thought the invisible ink "a gimmick", but a "hugely entertaining one". In conclusion, Cowie found this a "well thought out an enjoyable solo adventure".

Jim Bambra Jim Bambra (born 1956)Jim Bambra: Director Summary
Company Check Ltd is a Briti ...

reviewed ''Blizzard Pass'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...

'', and gave it 6/10 overall, calling it "a new departure in module design", noting that "Instead of simply printing all the entries clearly TSR have opted for an invisible ink format." Bambra felt that this short adventure was easy enough to complete with a reasonable amount of luck, but noted that "The invisible ink novelty soon grows a bit thin after you've tediously filled in your 4th and 5th box." Bambra felt that the module was "horrendously overpriced and not worth considering", concluding by saying "M1 is simply not as good as the

Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

, which have the advantages of being considerably cheaper and longer. M1's main appeal will lie with children; any just getting into ''D&D'' will no doubt greatly enjoy it."

References

{{D&D topics Dungeons & Dragons modules Mystara Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1983

Plot summary

Publication history

Reception

Further reading

References