''Treasure Hunt'' is an adventure module 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 ...

'' (''AD&D'') role-playing game, written by

Aaron Allston Aaron Dale Allston (December 8, 1960 – February 27, 2014) was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably ''Star Wars'' novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, severa ...

for the 1st edition ''

'' (''AD&D'') rules. The player characters must evolve into their roles as the adventure progresses, beginning as slaves on a galley who become freed after a shipwreck on an island where orcs and goblins contend over a treasure. The adventure received a positive review from ''

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 ...

'' magazine.

Plot summary

The characters begin in the Korinn Archipelago, and have been captured by slavers. A sea storm sends the pirate ship on which the characters are being held off course, and it crashes on an island once ruled by Viledel, the Sea King. Allston, Aaron. ''Treasure Hunt'' ( TSR, 1986) Orcs and

goblins A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...

are involved in a conflict over a treasure on the island. The characters begin with no possessions or equipment and no money. After surviving the shipwreck, the characters are able to make choices which will both help them develop their sense of freedom and determine what career they will take as adventurers.

Gameplay

''Treasure Hunt'' is an adventure designed for zero-level characters. The player characters earn their way to 1st level. The scenario allows the characters to evolve into their roles as adventurers, instead of starting them out on that career. Those who fight well become

fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...

, those who study the magical items found along the way become

magic-users A magician, also known as an enchanter/enchantress, mage, magic-user, archmage, sorcerer/sorceress, spell-caster, warlock, witch, or wizard, is someone who uses or practices magic derived from supernatural, occult, or arcane sources. Magicians ...

, those who attempt thieving activities become

thieves 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 ...

, and so on. The actions and attitudes taken by each character determine which character class that character will be. Each character's behavior also determines their

alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Structu ...

. The Dungeon Master (DM) makes regular

checks, and keeps track of how the characters behave in terms of role-playing and with handling magic and combat, recording how a character is developing towards a first-level character with a

character class In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters. In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, ...

. The module includes record sheets as handouts for the DM to track PC behaviors. There is a two-page "Players' Introduction" at the beginning of the adventure that each player is supposed to read themself. The adventure includes a two-page appendix entitled "If Things Go Wrong", which is a detailed, episode-by-episode treatment of ways to handle the player characters if they don't do what they are expected to do during the course of the adventure.

Publication history

''Treasure Hunt'' was written by

, and featured a cover by

Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time drawing as ...

and interior illustrations by Stephen Fabian. It was published by TSR in 1986 as a 36-page booklet with a 3-panel outer folder. Included in the module is a 12-page removable inner section. The Korinn Archipelago later appeared in the accessory FR2 ''

Moonshae ''Moonshae'' is an accessory for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' '' Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting. It describes the Moonshae Isles of Faerûn. Contents ''Moonshae'' is a supplement which details the Celtic-inspired islands in the Sea of Moonsha ...

''. Issue 194 of '' Dungeon Magazine'' featured ''Temple of the Weeping Goddess'', a zero-level adventure for 4th edition rules written by Philippe-Antoine Menard, who called it "both a sequel and a tribute" to ''Treasure Hunt''.

Reception

Carl Sargent Carl Lynwood Sargent (11 December 1952 – 12 September 2018) was a British parapsychologist and author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels, who used the pen name Keith Martin to write ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks. Early life ...

reviewed ''Treasure Hunt'' for ''

'' No. 93, noting that characters "will need to be resourceful in their choice of action". He felt that the plotline was "guided but not obtrusively so." He also complimented the "If Things Go Wrong" section: "One of author

's best innovations is an extensive section for the GM of the 'What if they do/don't do this?' variety - very useful indeed." Sargent noted an emphasis on

roleplaying Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing as ...

, careful observation, planning, and sensible negotiation, which he found refreshing, and found the whole adventure "beautifully simple". He felt that "As a first adventure for initiates, this can't be beaten. For old hands who may be tiring of ''AD&D'', it will be a welcome change." Sargent felt that the pre-generated characters were too weak in most cases, but that Allston handled this problem by avoiding excessive scores, and suggesting that players double up better scores on combinations, which leaves options open for further character evolution. Sargent concluded the review by stating, "This is a goodie: well-crafted... and truly creative. Well worth a look even if you don't normally buy ''AD&D'' adventures, you won't be disappointed."

Ken Rolston Ken Rolston is an American computer game and role-playing game designer best known for his work with West End Games and on the computer game series ''The Elder Scrolls''. In February 2007, he elected to join the staff of computer games company B ...

reviewed ''Treasure Hunt'' for '' Dragon'' magazine No. 125, calling ''Treasure Hunt'' a "fine example" of the subgenre of "low-level adventures in which the characters are stripped of all their game-mechanics resources and forced to improvise with their wits". Rolston complimented a few of Allston's design choices, including having player characters graduate from zero-level to 1st level with the DM tracking their progress, providing explicit staging for the DM, and displaying flexibility with interpreting the ''AD&D'' game rules. He felt the layout and presentation was generally good, calling the interior artwork "stylish", but the cover artwork "unremarkable", and the interior maps "uninspired but functional". Rolston criticized some of the layout choices, such as having the players read the "Players' Introduction", feeling that the material would be much better as a player handout.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Treasure Hunt (Module) Dungeons & Dragons modules Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1986