Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure
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''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'' by
Robert J. Kuntz Robert J. Kuntz (born September 23, 1955) is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is best known for his contributions to various ''Dungeons & Dragons''-related materials. Biography Early life Kuntz was born September ...
and
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
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 ...
for the ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
''
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as 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 ...
, 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 bee ...
in 1984. It originally bore the code "WG5" and was intended for use with the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' first edition rules. Because it is one of the ''WG'' modules, it is a module intended for the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting. It was later updated in 2004 to the Third Edition Revised rules in ''
Dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...
'' magazine, issue #112, as ''Maure Castle''. There were subsequently two additional installments in issues #124 and #139.


Plot summary

''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'' is a three-level dungeon adventure scenario intended for use with high-level
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), 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 tha ...
s, and features the appearances of characters from Rob Kuntz and Gary Gygax's original Greyhawk campaign. The module begins when the players are informed that a pair of impassable doors has been discovered under the abandoned Maure Castle. Suspecting that these iron doors lead to fantastic treasures, many have tried to gain access, and all have failed. The adventure is broken up into physical "levels", the first is entered through the doors. Once the players find a means of bypassing the doors, they are presented with a fairly open dungeon with several rooms placed throughout. Each area includes its own challenge, ranging from images that come to life and attack to pools of dangerous fish to a climactic encounter with an iron golem. On the second level, the party encounters the first modern occupant, Hubehn and his guards, and eventually his master, Eli Tomorast. Eli is an insane mage, bent on the collection of arcane knowledge at all costs. He is in these dungeons to study them and the treasures which they contain. The final level is populated by worshipers of a demon named Kerzit, which Tomorast had set up as a false god. These worshipers include a band of gnolls, a group of mages (one of whom is surprisingly trigger-happy) and a pair of torturers. The climax of the module is an encounter with the demon Kerzit himself.


Publication history

WG5 ''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'' was written by
Robert J. Kuntz Robert J. Kuntz (born September 23, 1955) is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is best known for his contributions to various ''Dungeons & Dragons''-related materials. Biography Early life Kuntz was born September ...
and
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
, with a cover by
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 interior art by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, 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 ...
, and was published by TSR in 1984 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder. This module, according to the Introduction, was based on the campaign that Robert J. Kuntz ran for Gary Gygax, and they later both worked on. The original version was written in 1972-1973. ''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'', however, was the first published form of the adventure. This campaign, in its pre-commercial form, was the seed from which much of 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 Arneson' ...
'' campaign setting and the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game itself originated. Gygax wrote about his experiences in this game in what would later be called "one of the foundations of our favorite hobby," by ''Dungeon'' magazine Editor-in-Chief,
Erik Mona Erik Mona (born April 1974) is an American game designer who lives in Seattle, Washington. Career Mona was the Managing Editor of issues 1 and 2 of the ''Oerth Journal'', an online publication devoted to the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign settin ...
. Gygax's article was written for the May issue of Wargamer's Digest, and was later reprinted in the ''Dungeon'' issue which acted as sequel and rules update to the original module in July 2004. Gygax introduces the Dungeons & Dragons game and discusses the Iron Golem encounter in WG5. The publication contains versions of Gygax's characters,
Mordenkainen Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character, only months after the start of Gygax's Greyhawk campaign and ...
the Mage, Yrag the Lord, Riggby the Patriarch and Bigby the Wizard, but is designed to allow the introduction of the players' own characters if they wish. Some iconic creatures of the Dungeons & Dragons game were first introduced in the pre-commercial version of this adventure in the 1970s such as the Iron Golem which claimed the lives of two of Gygax's characters, and was inspired by the
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
books by
Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American writer who wrote pulp magazine, pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He created the character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sor ...
. In 2004 the module was updated to the 3.5 edition rules by
Robert J. Kuntz Robert J. Kuntz (born September 23, 1955) is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is best known for his contributions to various ''Dungeons & Dragons''-related materials. Biography Early life Kuntz was born September ...
,
Erik Mona Erik Mona (born April 1974) is an American game designer who lives in Seattle, Washington. Career Mona was the Managing Editor of issues 1 and 2 of the ''Oerth Journal'', an online publication devoted to the ''World of Greyhawk'' campaign settin ...
and James Jacobs (with some advisory material provided by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
), and re-titled "Maure Castle." ''Dungeon'' magazine typically contains 3 adventures and a number of columns. Issue #112 was dominated by the updated module, and contained no other adventures. The module itself was preceded by a reprint of the 1974 article/short story "Swords and Sorcery - In Wargaming" by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
, which introduced ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
''. Robert Kuntz followed this adventure up with "Chambers of Antiquities" in ''
Dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...
'' #124, and "The Greater Halls" in ''
Dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...
'' #139.


Reception

Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote '' The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin' ...
reviewed the adventure in ''
The Space Gamer ''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' #73. Swan noted that this module's "action is non-stop and there is no chance for your attention to wander" and felt that the "module is a breeze to run and can accommodate any element you wish to add or subtract. Hack-and-slashers don't come any slicker than this." Swan felt that "''Moredenkainen'' has little to offer experienced ''D&D'' players," but it is more appropriate for younger, inexperienced players. Chris Hunter reviewed the module for ''
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'' magazine, giving it a mixed review. He called it a "dungeon in the traditional sense" and quoted Gygax's preface, describing it as 'mainly hack and slay'. Hunter criticized "the feel of an early generation dungeon, having traps with no real explanation; instant kill encounters" and logical errors such as allowing the dungeon's denizens no exit past the unopenable doors that seal it. He felt that the module was "not a bad one-off bit of high level fun" but he would not use it in a campaign of his own.
Lawrence Schick Lawrence Schick is a game designer and writer associated with role-playing games. Early life and education Schick attended Kent State University in Ohio. Career Schick, as the head of design and development at TSR, brought aboard Tom Moldvay ...
, in his 1991 book ''Heroic Worlds'', called this adventure "A three-level dungeon in the classic mode." Dungeon Magazine #112 won the 2005 Gold ENnie for Best Adventure. ''Dungeon Master For Dummies'' lists the "Maure Castle" adventure from ''Dungeon'' #112 as one of the Ten Best ''Dungeon Magazine'' Adventures.


References


External links


Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure
at the TSR Archive *

at The Acaeum.com {{D&D topics Greyhawk modules Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1984