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''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'' by Robert J. Kuntz 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 role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
is an adventure module 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 Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (T ...
''
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 ...
, published by TSR, Inc. 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 belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
'' 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 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, 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 ''Iron Invader'' (also known as ''Iron Golem'' and ''Metal Shifters'') is a 2011 science fiction television film directed by Paul Ziller. The drama features Kavan Smith and Nicole de Boer. The film premiered on the Syfy channel on February 12, 201 ...
. 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 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 role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
, with a cover by Clyde Caldwell and interior art by Jeff Easley, 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 sett ...
. Gygax's article was written for the May issue of
Wargamer's Digest ''Wargamer's Digest'' was a wargaming magazine created by Gene McCoy that was published from 1973 to 2000 (from 1984 to 2000 as ''Military Digest''). It is notable as one of the earliest publications to publish the work of Gary Gygax, and for the ...
, 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 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 ''Iron Invader'' (also known as ''Iron Golem'' and ''Metal Shifters'') is a 2011 science fiction television film directed by Paul Ziller. The drama features Kavan Smith and Nicole de Boer. The film premiered on the Syfy channel on February 12, 201 ...
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 who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
books by
Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906June 11, 1936) was an American writer. He wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subge ...
. In 2004 the module was updated to the 3.5 edition rules by Robert J. Kuntz,
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 sett ...
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 role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
), 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 role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
, which introduced ''
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 Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (T ...
''. 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 belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
'' #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 belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
'' #139.


Reception

Rick Swan 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 '' Imagine'' 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, 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 The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World ...
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