''When Black Roses Bloom'' is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of 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 ga ...

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 ...

, published in 1995.

Plot summary

''When Black Roses Bloom'' is a

Ravenloft Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a ''pocket dimension'' or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces c ...

adventure which guest stars

Lord Soth Lord Soth, the Knight of the Black Rose, is a fictional character appearing in the fantasy realms of ''Dragonlance'' and later ''Ravenloft''. He is depicted as a death knight and fallen Knight of Solamnia from the world of Krynn. Development ...

, the tormented and terrifying death knight of Solamnia, from the

Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving i ...

setting. Trapped in the Demiplane of Dread, the homesick Soth longs to return to

Krynn ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in ...

, and has fashioned six memory mirrors to help him get there.

Publication history

''When Black Roses Bloom'' was written by

Lisa Smedman Lisa Smedman is a science fiction and fantasy author and journalist. Her novel ''Extinction'', set in the Forgotten Realms universe, was a ''New York Times'' bestseller. Smedman first became known for gaming adventure novels, and later published ...

, and published by TSR, Inc.

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's Pr ...

reviewed ''When Black Roses Bloom'' for '' Dragon'' magazine #221 (September 1995). He calls the adventure "engaging", and states: "The principal encounters, which take place inside the mirrors, not only challenge the party's tactical skills, but also reveal tantalizing bits of the Dragonlance mythos."

References

{{D&D topics Ravenloft adventures Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1995