''Ship of Horror'' is an adventure for the 2nd edition of the ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
role-playing 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 ...
, released in 1991. It was written by
Anne Brown
Anne Brown (August 9, 1912March 13, 2009) was an American soprano for whom George Gershwin rewrote the part of "Bess" into a leading role in the original production of his opera '' Porgy and Bess'' in 1935.
She was also a radio and concert sin ...
and 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 ...
.
[
]
Contents
According to reviewer Gene Alloway, the module is for a group of 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 of levels
Level or levels may refer to:
Engineering
*Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights
*Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical
*Canal pound or level
*Regr ...
8–10.[ Gameplay takes place in the world of Ravenloft.][ A notable aspect of the story is the well-developed non-player characters, including Captain Garvyn of the ship ''Endurance''.][ Galloway states that the setting's mood is excellent as well: "Sights, sounds, smells, and creepy feelings are described in such a way as to make you look over your shoulder".][ He also highlighted the artwork of ]Clyde Caldwell
Clyde Caldwell (born February 20, 1948) is an American artist. Self-described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters.
With his work at TSR in the 1980s, he is considered one of the artis ...
and Stephen Fabian
Stephen Emil Fabian Sr. is an American artist.
Career
Fabian specializes in science fiction and fantasy illustration and cover art for books and magazines. Fabian also produced artwork for TSR's ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game from 1986 to 1995, p ...
as noteworthy.[
]
Publication history
''Ship of Horror'' was 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 1991.
Reception
Gene Alloway reviewed the module in the May/June 1992 issue of ''White Wolf Magazine
''White Wolf'' is a game magazine that was published by White Wolf Publishing from 1986 to 1995.
History
While still in high school, Stewart Wieck and Steve Wieck decided to self-publish their own magazine, and Steve chose the name "White Wolf" a ...
''.[ He rated the game an overall 4 out of a possible 5.][
In 2013, Alex Lucard, for ''Diehard GameFAN'', wrote that "''Ship of Horror'' gives you all the unique themes of ''Ravenloft''. Your characters have to deal with Fear and Horror checks. There are Powers checks when you do evil acts or cast certain spells. You have to stop the machinations of a Darklord, and it is also designed to introduce players and DMs to ''Ravenloft''. This means the characters can enter and leave the Dark Domain from just this adventure. It’s a good gauge to see if players will want more. ..The staging of a large scale battle on a ship is something that both the PCs and DM will find incredibly memorable, and it will also force everyone to use different tactics unless they want the boat to sink".
]
Reviews
*'' Envoyer'' #6
References
Ravenloft adventures
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1991
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