''Red Arrow, Black Shield'' 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 (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (T ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving 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 literature and drama ...

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 ...

. It was published by TSR in 1985, and designed by Michael S. Dobson. Its cover art is 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 cartography by Dennis Kauth. The module's associated code is X10 and its TSR product code is TSR 9160. This module was developed and intended for use with the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' '' Expert Set'' and '' Companion Set'' rules.

Plot summary

''Red Arrow, Black Shield'' 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 must defend Darokin, which is the next invasion target after the Desert Nomads conquer Akesoli. The

s lead diplomatic missions and armies against the Desert Nomads and their evil leader, The Master. With the Nomadic invasion of Akesoli, the Republic of Darokin prepares for war. This module is billed as "A BATTLESYSTEM™ Game/War Machine Spectacular!" It uses the mass combat "War Machine" rules from the '' Companion Set'', and the ''

Battlesystem ''Battlesystem'' is a tabletop miniature wargame designed as a supplement for use with the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. The original ''Battlesystem'' was printed as a boxed set in 1985 for use with the first edition ''AD&D'' rules. ...

'' Fantasy Combat Supplement included with the module, as well as a large map of Mystara and strategy game tokens. There are a number of "Chase Flow Charts" used to direct encounters through an abstracted landscape as players pursue others or are pursued themselves through the streets.

Publication history

X10 ''Red Arrow, Black Shield'' was written by Michael S. Dobson, with a cover by

, and was published by TSR in 1985 as a 48-page book, large color map, cardboard counter sheet, small zip-locked bag, and an outer folder. Because of the political ramifications of the war depicted in this module, ''

The Grand Duchy of Karameikos ''The Grand Duchy of Karameikos'' (product code GAZ1) is an accessory for the '' Basic Set'' edition for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. The book was written by Aaron Allston, and was published in 1987. Cover art is by Clyde ...

'', and the subsequent ''D&D Gazetteers'' published in 1987 and later, state that ''Red Arrow, Black Shield'' takes place 200 years in the future.

Reception

References

Dungeons & Dragons modules Mystara Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1985 {{D&D-stub