''Danger at Dunwater'' is an
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 ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...
'' (AD&D) fantasy
roleplaying game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
, written by
Dave J. Browne
Dave J. Browne is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.
Career
Dave Browne and Don Turnbull (game designer), Don Turnbull wrote the early TSR UK adventures U1-U3 (1981–1983), which added to the Greyhawk setting. He als ...
with
Don Turnbull The module was first published by
TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had been ...
in 1982 and contains a 32-page adventure set in the ''
World of Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''— Dave Arnes ...
''
campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
. It was designed for 6-10 characters of level 1-4.
Plot summary
''Danger at Dunwater'' is an adventure in which the
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
s will need to track down a growing army of
lizardmen to their lair, to stop their planned assault on the town of Saltmarsh.
Saltmarsh is a small fishing village facing serious problems. Lizard Men are gathering a force nearby and buying many sophisticated weapons. A party of adventurers is hired by the town council to investigate the Lizard Men so the villagers can live in peace.
Publication history
''Danger at Dunwater'' was written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull, and art drawn by
Tim Truman; it was published in 1982 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder.
Designed and developed in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, it was intended for 6–10 characters of level 1–4. The module has been described as a low-level scenario that carries on where ''The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh'' leaves off.
preview
It is the second module in the "Saltmarsh" series.
The second of three related adventures in an underwater campaign set in the town of
Saltmarsh
A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...
, the module is a sequel to U1 – ''
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
''The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh'' is a module for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'') roleplaying game, written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull. The module details a mysterious abandoned mansion at the edge of a town called Sa ...
'' and is followed by U3 – ''
The Final Enemy
''The Final Enemy'' is an adventure module for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (AD&D) fantasy roleplaying game written by Dave Browne with Don Turnbull set in the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting.
Plot summary
''The Final Enemy'' is ...
'', which concludes the series.
Reception
Doug Cowie gave ''Danger at Dunwater'' a positive review in ''
Imagine
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* Imagination
Music Albums
* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
* ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002
* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'' magazine,
noting that "modules are currently being turned out to a very high standard and this one is no exception".
He felt that the module provides clear and well organized details as well as "well rounded" NPCs but that it should be run by an experienced DM who can do justice to its subtleties. Cowie's only reservation was that the town of Saltmarsh plays a central role in all of the modules of the U1-3 series, but that DMs are expected to create it themselves with the help of "minimal outline material".
Cowie felt that this is the sort of detail one expects to find in a module. Nevertheless, he found this to offer a "rewarding set" of adventures which are best played as part of the series. In conclusion, Cowie praised the careful design and "fresh approach" and urged his readers to "play it".
reviewed ''Danger at Dunwater'' 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 8/10 overall, commenting that the module was evidence that a low level adventure can be still be interesting and challenging. Bambra felt that this adventure was meant for players who enjoy a mental challenge; "Players who attack everything they meet will find the adventure entertaining but will not realise its full potential. Those who do not overlook obvious clues will realise that there is something more afoot here than immediately meets the eye." Bambra concluded by praising the module further feeling that "A lot of thought has gone into this module, monsters are not there to be slain, they have personalities and feelings which come across very well."
Ken Denmead of ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
s
GeekDad
GeekDad is a website covering multiple topics targeting fathers who categorize themselves as a "geek." Popular categories include Lego, Star Wars & Star Trek, video games, books, and field trips. GeekDad also publishes a regular podcast covering ...
listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend".
According to Denmead, this is "another module where the challenge is not what it seems, which is always fun. A little understanding and compassion can go a long way towards avoiding deadly combat."
References
Review: ''Fantasy Gamer'' #2 (1983)
External links
The Underwater Seriesat the Acaeum.com
Review at RPGnet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danger At Dunwater
Greyhawk modules
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1982